North Carolina governor Pat McCrory concedes, handing election to Democrat Roy Cooper

North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory announced he was conceding the 2016 election to Democrat Roy Cooper on Monday, putting an end to America's longest and most contentious gubernatorial race nearly a full month after Election Day.

"Despite continued questions that should be answered regarding the voting process, I personally believe the majority of our citizens have spoken, and we should now do everything we can to support the 75th governor of North Carolina, Roy Cooper," McCrory said in a video released on YouTube.

"The McCrory administration team will assist in every way to help the new administration make a smooth transition," he added.

The contest between McCrory and Cooper was the closest of any governor's race in the country, and is the last to be settled. McCrory trailed Cooper by about 4,500 votes on Election night, a margin that grew to about 10,000 in the coming weeks as provisional and absentee ballots were tallied.

But McCrory, a Republican, refused to concede initially, lodging complaints of voter fraud in counties across the state. Several of the complaints were thrown out due to a lack of evidence.

The incumbent's team did succeed in its quest for a recount in Durham County, the liberal hotbed that swung the election to Cooper shortly before midnight on Election Day. Republicans were suspicious of the sudden addition of 90,000 early votes to the final count, however partial results of the recount showed virtually 100% accuracy in the original tabulation.

Watch McCrory's concession video below:

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