A Democratic election official in Pennsylvania offered an impassioned apology Wednesday for claiming “precedent by a court doesn’t matter anymore in this country” to justify counting about 600 faulty ballots in defiance of state Supreme Court rulings.

Democratic Sen. Bob Casey called Republican David McCormick to concede in Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate election. The move comes after the race was too close to call and triggered an automatic recount.

Democratic-majority election boards in Montgomery, Philadelphia, and Bucks counties voted last week to count the ballots that lacked a correct date.

Bucks County has been at the center of controversy since a commissioner said she willingly decided to ignore a court directive to disqualify certain ballots.

Pa., on Thursday conceded the race for Pennsylvania's Senate seat to his Republican opponent, Dave McCormick. NBC News projected McCormick's win in the hotly contested battleground state race shortly after Casey's concession,

Incumbent Sen. Bob Casey on Thursday conceded in the U.S. Senate race in Pennsylvania to Republican challenger Dave McCormick. In an email from his campaign, Casey, a Democrat, said he called McCormick to congratulate him on his win in the race.

Democratic Sen. Bob Casey has conceded to Republican Dave McCormick in Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate election after a close race triggered an automatic recount.

Senator Bob Casey has conceded to his Republican opponent, David McCormick, in a Pennsylvania race that was so close that it triggered a recount.

Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Commissioner Diane Ellis-Marseglia apologized for claiming court precedent "doesn't matter" in relation to provisional ballots.

According to unofficial results, Republican Dave McCormick leads incumbent Democrat Bob Casey by roughly 16,000 votes. "That is a staggeringly close number considering that 36,604 Philadelphians chose to undervote the race," said Philadelphia Commissioner Lisa M Deeley (D), meaning they voted for President but skipped over the Senate race.

The unofficial result of the race between Bob Casey and David McCormick triggers the recount mandate. Philadelphia says it will not count mail ballots with date errors following the state’s high court ruling this week.