So close, and no shame in this defeat.

Gillespie is holding a press conference, and he just declared, “The margin is now more than 16,700 votes — larger than it was on Election Night. Obviously it did not move in our direction. I called Mark Warner to congratulate him on his reelection.”

Gillespie began the race 32 points down, and was outspent two-to-one.

He added, “If I thought there was any conceivable way” to make up the margin in a recount, he would pursue that option. But “in my mind and in my heart, I know a change in outcome” is not coming.

In other news, “Ed Gillespie for Governor 2017″ is off to a terrific start.