By Marshall Griffin, KWMU
Columbia, MO – Kenny Hulshof conceded the race for Missouri governor last night before a somber crowd in Columbia.
With his wife Renee and U.S. Senator Kit Bond (R, MO) standing behind him, Hulshof told the crowd he called Governor-elect Jay Nixon to congratulate him on a hard-fought campaign.
"(I) told him that I would do everything I could as a private citizen to help heal our state and move it forward," Hulshof said.
He added that it's time to accentuate the positive.
"But now is the time, I think, that we really focus on what is good with our state, how we can move our state forward, and hopefully we will all do that...in fact, in the end, I guess the bottom line is that elections are not about the names on the ballot, they're about the people who went to the voting booth," Hulshof said.
And he got a little emotional at the end of his speech.
"It has been a high privilege to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with you...thank you for your loyalty, your friendship, and your faith...I have been honored to have your support," Hulshof said in hushed, nearly broken tones.
Hulshof then left the stage, with his wife and Senator Bond following behind.