Wyo. Democrat not planning on recount

[Ron Burgundy]

AP - Democrat Gary Trauner said Thursday he had no immediate plans to seek a recount in his close race to unseat incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Barbara Cubin (news, bio, voting record).

Trauner, a businessman from Wilson, said he wants to let the process of certifying Tuesday's election results play out and, unless something unusual occurs, will accept those results.

"When the results are made official after the counting of provisional ballots, the county canvassing certification is done, I will respect and accept the outcome," he said in a teleconference from Jackson. "And with the information we have now, I currently have no plans to ask for a recount if it's not mandated by the state."

The race attracted national attention when a third-party candidate who uses a wheelchair accused Cubin of confronting him after a debate and telling him, "If you weren't sitting in that chair, I'd slap you across the face."

Cubin says she told Libertarian candidate Thomas Rankin: "If you had said that to anyone else, they probably would have smacked you."

Rankin had criticized Cubin for taking money from former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's political action committee; Cubin has said she'll return the money only if DeLay is convicted of a crime.

Cubin was seeking a seventh term and has already declared victory.

Unofficial returns compiled by the Secretary of State's office showed Cubin with 93,197 votes, 970 more than Trauner. Cubin has a lead of 48.3 percent to Trauner's 47.8 percent, just enough of a margin to avoid a recount if the numbers hold up.

The State Canvassing Board meets Wednesday to certify the election.