Craig Johnson

I'd be the first to congratulate Jack Martins if I was certain that each of the 85,000-plus votes in this race were counted and counted accurately.

The procedures governing these new voting machines are uncharted territory. What happens here could very well govern how all future close elections are decided.

That is why I intend to take my request for a full hand recount to a higher court. I am prepared for any outcome of such a count.

Voters need to have confidence that when their ballot is cast, it's counted. That was why millions of dollars were spent on voting technology that had a paper trail. The legal precedent simply cannot be to ignore this vitally important protection.

Frankly, this is bigger than me, bigger than Jack Martins, and bigger than who controls the State Senate. This is about preserving the principle of one man, one vote that our government was founded upon.”