US Rep. Solomon Ortiz concedes in race

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (AP) - U.S. Rep. Solomon Ortiz has conceded defeat to Republican challenger Blake Farenthold after a manual recount failed to make up the about 800 votes he trailed by.

Ortiz said late Monday that he called to congratulate Farenthold, a political newcomer, and that the two would meet next week in Washington.

Farenthold said Ortiz was "very gracious."

Ortiz, 73, paid a $23,500 deposit for a manual recount after unofficial results showed he trailed Farenthold by 799 votes of the about 106,500 cast across the Texas 27th Congressional district.

However, he conceded after the final 15,000 votes were recounted Monday in Brownsville and didn't change the final election result.