Quinn had refused to concede even as Rauner claimed victory Tuesday evening, with the Democrat saying he would not "throw in the towel" while there were still votes to be counted.



With counting of mailed-in and military ballots an ongoing process, the latest tally from The Associated Press showed that with 99.5 percent of the state's precincts reporting, Rauner held a sizable 172,606-vote advantage over Quinn, or a lead of 51 percent to 46 percent.



The Democrat, seeking a second elected term after taking over from the impeached and now imprisoned Rod Blagojevich, won only Cook County among the votes cast in the state's 102 counties.