Dan Neil has withdrawn from the battle for Texas House District 48.
In a statement released this afternoon, Neil said,
"With the select committee’s ruling that we did not meet the burden of proof to overturn the election results in HD-48, I have decided the best course of action is to withdraw my election contest. I owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to all my supporters who worked hard on a campaign that was ultimately decided by the narrowest of margins. Their prayers and support have made this entire experience worthwhile even if the end result is not what we sought. I would also like to thank Master Hartnett and the Committee for their hard work on this issue. And I want to wish Donna Howard well as she continues to represent District 48, which is a special place to live, work and raise a family."
As KUT previously reported, a House select committee unanimously voted this week to recommend that Rep. Donna Howard is the winner in the HD 48 race. The election challenge between the Democrat Howard and her Republican challenger Dan Neil then would move to the Texas House.
On Election Day Donna Howard won re-election by 16 votes. A recount later cut the lead to 12.