Gov. Pat Quinn conceded the gubernatorial election Wednesday afternoon to Republican challenger Bruce Rauner.

Quinn, who refused to accept Rauner’s victory on Tuesday night, said he wanted to wait until every vote was counted. However, at a press conference Wednesday, Quinn said a victory was no longer possible.

“It’s clear that we do not have enough votes to win the election,” Quinn said.

With more than 99 percent of precincts reporting, Rauner has a lead of 51 percent to 46 percent over Quinn, according to the Associated Press.

Rauner released a statement Wednesday on Quinn’s concession.

“I thank Governor Quinn for his many years of service to Illinois and appreciate his commitment to making this a smooth transition,” he said. “I look forward to getting to work to make Illinois the most compassionate and competitive state in the nation.”

With Quinn’s remaining time in office, he said he will dedicate himself to raising the minimum wage from $8.25 an hour to $10 an hour, which was a key component of his re-election platform. Voters also passed a referendum, showing support for this legislative move.

At the Quinn election party Tuesday night, Toni Preckwinkle, Cook County Board president, said the state’s Democratic Congress would balance out the Republican governor.

“We have a Democratic Senate and a Democratic House, so the issues that I care about will be addressed in the state legislature,” she said.

This article was updated Nov. 5 at 10:37 p.m.

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