Governor Won’t Seek Prop. 74 Recount
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SACRAMENTO — Gov. George Deukmejian will not request a recount of the ballots cast on Proposition 74, the $1-billion transportation bond measure he sponsored that was rejected by only 355 votes, his office announced Friday.
“It was briefly examined, and the conclusion was made not to pursue a recount,” said Kevin Brett, Deukmejian’s press secretary. “The decision is final, and it’s not going to change.”
The Republican governor had considered requesting a recount after Proposition 74 was defeated in the June 7 primary by the razor-thin margin of just 355 votes out of more than 5.2 million ballots cast.
The election was so close that Secretary of State March Fong Eu did not announce until Wednesday, nearly a month after the vote, that the proposition had lost.
Deukmejian, who could face mounting political problems if he cannot find some way to address California’s transportation problems, is considering placing a similar bond measure on the ballot in 1990. His staff argues that the proposition’s defeat was not a “definitive” rejection of the idea of using bonds to finance projects.
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