Liberal Gary Keating has been declared the winner of the recount in the provincial riding of Saint John East.
Elections NB had Keating winning over Conservative Glenn Savoie by 7 votes. Keating wound up winning by a 9 vote margin in the hand count and says he was confident the initial result would not change but it was a bit nerve wracking nonetheless to be in a state of limbo since election night.
There were 26 rejected ballots, most of which were blank. There were some that appeared to have been marked properly but there was no explanation why they were declared spoiled.
Keating will have to resign as principal of Simonds High.
