(ABC7, AP) - Councilmember Vincent Orange has beat challenger Sekou Biddle for the at-large D.C. council seat.

Continue reading

The final tally is Orange 23,719, Biddle 21,973.

“Congratulations to Councilmember Orange on winning this very close race," Biddle stated in a press release. "While the votes did not go in our favor today, it is clear from today's results that the majority of residents of the District want and expect more of their leaders than they are getting right now."

Biddle promised to continue serving the District and to hold elected officials "to a higher standard than they have been able to achieve recently."

District of Columbia elections officials counted nearly 5,000 absentee and provisional ballots on Friday.

Orange led challenger Biddle by 543 votes after last Tuesday's Democratic primary.

The Board of Elections and Ethics says it received 2,163 absentee ballots from Democratic voters.

The board is also preparing to count more than 2,800 provisional ballots, although that total also includes voters from other parties.