UPDATE: Garrett Not Conceding 5th District Yet, Urges People To Pray For Leaders

Rep. Scott Garrett is not giving up his House seat without a fight.

The 13-year congressman lost his seat Tuesday to Democratic challenger Josh Gottheimer, a married father of two, who attacked Garrett on his voting record, whose campaign referred to Garrett as a "bigot" for his alleged anti-gay stance.

Gottheimer won by 10,200 votes. He received 156,628. Garrett received 146,428. Garrett won Passaic, Warren, and Sussex counties, but lost Begen, where 75 percent of the district's populations lives.

RELATED: Josh Gottheimer Defeats Scott Garrett

Garrett issued a statement shortly before 1 a.m. Wednesday morning that there are "upwards of 20,000 ballots" still outstanding and that a "large number" of provisional ballots have also been cast.

Garrett officials said that "election officials" told his campaign that those ballots may not be "verified and tabulated for several days."

"The outcome of this race shouldn't be called until these ballots can be counted," Garrett said. "I am confident that the election results will reflect these concerns and that voters will choose to send me back to Washington as their representative."

Garrett issued another statement Wednesday at noon thanking everyone who supported his campaign.

"While the results of this election were not with I had hoped for, I am proud of the race we ran — we stayed the course and kept the faith," Garrett said. "We are charged to pray for our nation's leaders, and we are that doing that now."

Gottheimer was a former speechwriter for Bill Clinton when he was president. Garrett tried to give voters the impression that Gottheimer is a Washington insider who cannot be trusted.

Gottheimer received endorsements from the Sierra Club, the state teachers union, and the New Jersey State Policemen's Benevolent Association, among other labor unions and organizations.

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Photo: Rep. Scott Garrett — Wikimedia Commons