Anti-Online Gambling Crusader Chris Gregoire Wins in Washington

In a tightly fought campaign, Republican challenger Dino Rossi conceded to incumbent Democrat Governor of Washington State, Chris Gregoire. 

Under Gregoire's reign, Washington became the first and only state in the union to make betting on the Internet a Class C felony with a punishment equivalent to that of a child molester or repeat drunk driving offender.

Within a few hours of the polls closing Tuesday, Gregoire was declared the winner. She was ahead by 54 percent, compared to Rossi's 46 percent, in unofficial returns with about 55 percent of the votes counted early Wednesday.

This was a rematch of the 2004 election but, unlike 2004, when Rossi took an early lead on Election Night, Gregoire jumped out front early and hung on, according to Rachel La Corte of the Associated Press.

Gregoire beat Rossi four years ago by the closest percentage margin of any governor's race in U.S. history - just 133 votes out of about 2.8 million cast, after two recounts and an unsuccessful Republican court challenge.

That loss has been simmering with Republicans for years, and Rossi wasn't ready to concede this time.

"We saw in 2004 and again in the primary this year that later votes cast and counted trended heavily toward Dino Rossi," Rossi spokeswoman Jill Strait said in a statement. "If that happens again in this general election the results will change."

Christopher Costigan, Gambling911.com Publisher