Lawrence Mayor William Lantigua has conceded the city's contested mayor's race to City Councilor Daniel Rivera.
Lantigua congratulated the fellow Democrat on the win and said it was time to give Rivera a chance to lead.
Lantigua made the statement in Spanish on a local Spanish-language radio station.
Official results announced on Saturday showed Lantigua had lost to Rivera by 81 votes, not 58 as indicated in the unofficial results of the Nov. 5 elections. Lantigua had considered launching a possible court challenge to the vote count.
Rivera has pledged to work for all in Lawrence and asked those who supported Lantigua to work with him.
Volunteers recounted thousands of votes by hand at the South Lawrence East School. Attorneys for both sides and observers sent by Secretary of State William Galvin monitored the exercise.
