After filing election protests and calling for recounts, Democratic Rep. Michael Wray is conceding the 27th N.C. House district primary to political newcomer Rodney Pierce, a Halifax County teacher. 

“My supporters have been incredible,” Wray said in a statement. “They have been there for me from the beginning and stood by my side during this election. While I am disappointed in the result, knowing that I can always count on them gives me great comfort. I don’t know what the future holds for me. However, I do know that I will continue to fight for the people of North Carolina.”

The district is a mostly rural area near Roanoke Rapids in northeastern North Carolina.

The 10-term representative filed protests in all three counties that make up the district and then called for recounts. The Halifax, Warren, and Northampton Boards of Elections dismissed his protests last week, and recounts in each county did not change the result of the race. 

With no Republican challenger in November, Pierce is slated to head to Raleigh next January. 

“I thank Rep. Wray for his years of service,” Pierce said in a statement, according to the Associated Press. “The people have spoken, and it’s time to work together to move our district forward.”

Wray, who was first elected in 2005, conceded the race on Monday, saying that he will not seek further review by the State Board of Elections. Before conceding, he planned to appeal Halifax County’s dismissal to the State Board of Elections, but decided not to move forward with the appeal Monday. 

Wray said that he filed the election protests to make sure that every vote was counted. 

“The elections boards and staff in Halifax, Northampton and Warren counties reviewed the issues we raised and uncovered votes that reduced the margin in this race,” Wray said. “The recount confirmed that margin and the remaining protests would not be enough to overcome it.”

The state’s unofficial election results show Pierce leading the race by 34 votes. The margin was 35 when Wray called for a recount. 

Warren County Board of Elections Director Debbie Formyduval said that the margin change is due to Warren County finding a provisional ballot that was erroneously not counted. She said the ballot was added to the total before the county’s recount on Monday, and it was not part of Wray’s election protest in the county. 

Wray, one of the most conservative Democrats in the House, is one of two Democratic incumbents to lose to a progressive challenger, joining Sen. Mike Woodard from Durham. 

Each county Boards of Elections has already certified their election results, and the State Board of Elections is certifying the primary results Tuesday.