State Rep. Justin J. Pearson has conceded in the Memphis-area congressional district that was redrawn to favor Republicans.

Republican state Sen. Brent Taylor declared victory Tuesday night. The AP has not called the race.

The district was one of several Southern districts represented by Black Democrats that were redrawn in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court decision weakening the Voting Rights Act.

Pearson said Wednesday that he came close to victory in the gerrymandered district and noted that “Tennessee politics will never be the same.”

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[–] 8 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

I mean, the news media isn't some sort of authority here. They could mis-call or delay calling or not call at all, and news outlets don't coordinate in when they make calls.

EDIT: Actually, I don't think that the concession has authority either. Like, it's the elections people counting the votes that decide.

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Yeah, the concession is just a custom. No legal impact.

https://www.npr.org/sections/politicaljunkie/2009/11/hoffman_unconcedes_in_new_york.html

Hoffman 'Unconcedes' In New York 23; Absentee Count Begins Today

Conceding an election doesn't necessarily mean anything, other than it's a gracious way of congratulating a victorious opponent. But it holds no legal meaning. Al Gore conceded to George W. Bush on election night 2000, only to withdraw that concession when Florida turned out to be too close to call. (He conceded once again, on Dec. 13, only after the U.S. Supreme Court ended his hopes of finding victory in the legal system.)

Technically news media could call the race one way (heck, multiple outlets calling it different ways), candidates concede indicating another, and the election authorities count the votes and make a call a third way, and the last would be what determines the outcome.

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