Congressman Allen West has given up. According to an early post from Politico, the one-term Tea Party favorite from South Florida has acknowledged there's no way he can overcome Democratic opponent Patrick Murphy's 1,904-vote victory margin in District 18, which spreads over St. Lucie, Martin and Palm Beach counties.
West was elected in 2010 in a Broward County district. He chose to run in the more northern territory after redistricting made his home district more welcoming to Democrats.
A former Army colonel famous for harsh and sometimes taunting rhetoric, West had contested the outcome of the race since Election Day but succeeded only in increasing Murphy's lead. Meanwhile, Murphy -- a 29-year-old CPA making his first run for office -- was in Washington attending freshman representative orientation.
"Many questions remain answered," West told Politico, but be went on to congratulate Murphy and remind him of his duty. "I pray he will serve his constituents with honor and integrity, and put the interests of our nation before his own."
