UPDATE: Reeves Claims Victory As Canvass Wraps

Update: 3 p.m. -

Apparently the canvass isn't yet completely finished.

Only a handful of provisional ballots in Louisa County remain to be counted as local election officials across the 17th Senate Distict wrap up their canvasses of ballots cast in Tuesday's election, according to the Washington Post.

WaPo Reporter Laura Vozzella spoke with Virginia Democratic and Republican officials who said that only a small number of provisional ballots remain to be counted in the district. A state GOP spokesman told Vozzella that if the vote shifts at this point, it will only be by single digits.

Vozzella also reports that state GOP officials erroneously thought that the canvass was completed. This motivated the party to issue the press release claiming victory for Bryce Reeves. That release was the source of the article below.

The original article, as posted earlier this morning, follows:

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It's official. Bryce Reeves is the new senator-elect from Virginia's 17th Senate District.

Election officials in the 17th Virginia Senate District have completed a canvass of Tuesday's election results. The final tally has Reeves up 224 votes over incumbent Democrat Edd Houck, 22,610 to 22,386. Reeves took 50.16-percent of the vote, with Houck taking 49.66-percent.

something which his campaign tells the media he intends to do.

Reeves addressed supporters in an email celebrating the results.

It reads as follows:

"The canvasses in all jurisdictions located in the 17th Senate District have concluded and they have confirmed that the people of the 17th district have elected me to serve as their State Senator. I am looking forward to serving the people of the 17th district and working with Governor Bob McDonnell in Richmond to create jobs, grow our economy, improve our schools, and keep Virginia moving in the right direction. I want to thank everyone who came out to vote, regardless of who they voted for, and I look forward to serving all of the people of the 17th district."

Fredericksburg Patch has reached out to the Houck campaign for comment, but has received no response as of yet.

This is a developing story. Stay tuned to Patch as more details are learned.