Bowman, Rocah officially winners as Engel and Scarpino concede

Jamaal+Bowman+%28left%29+and+Rep.+Eliot+Engel.

Jamaal Bowman (left) and Rep. Eliot Engel.

Incumbent Congressman Eliot Engel conceded the Democratic nomination for the 16th Congressional District to Jamaal Bowman in a statement on Friday, after incumbent Westchester District Attorney Anthony Scarpino conceded to Mimi Rocah on Thursday, according to a statement posted on Rocah’s website.

“The numbers are clear, and I will not be the Democratic nominee for the 16th Congressional District seat in the fall election,” said Rep. Engel in his statement. He gave well wishes to Bowman, the presumptive nominee for the 16th district, and went on to call for a continued fight to provide resources for the district.

Engel’s concession to Bowman came nearly three weeks after Bowman declared victory. Bowman defeated the establishment-backed 16 term incumbent with a progressive platform and backing from leading national progressives including Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Meanwhile, in a Westchester District Attorney’s race that rose to increased prominence in the past months as police accountability came to the forefront of the public’s view, DA Anthony Scarpino conceded the Democratic nomination to Mimi Rocah. According to a statement posted on her campaign website on Thursday, Scarpino called to concede the race after it became mathematically impossible for him to become the nominee.

Rocah, a former attorney in the Southern District of New York, was backed by several national Democrats, including Secretary Hillary Clinton and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, as well as influential local figures like former US Attorney Preet Bharara and State Sen. Alessandra Biaggi.

In her statement, Rocah thanked her supporters, and said “I am committed to addressing racial inequality and ensuring true justice for all.” She later went on to reference national politics, saying that “As Trump continues to wreak havoc on the rule of law, it is imperative that we do everything we can to stand up to his abuses of power.”

The delayed concessions, and continued uncertainty around exact results comes over three weeks after election day, with ballot counting continuing in the interim, as absentee ballots usage rose amid concerns over in-person voting. The New York State Board of Elections website still appears to only have unofficial election night results, and it is unclear when certified results would be available statewide.