Pike concedes in race against Trivedi in Sixth

Doug Pike, a former Inquirer editorial writer, Wednesday afternoon conceded his race for the Democratic nomination for the Sixth Congressional District.

Pike also voiced support the victor, Manan Trivedi, who won Tuesday's primary election by 672 votes, according to unofficial results.

The Pike campaign had held off on endorsing Trivedi, and the campaign was calculating whether there were enough possible military, overseas or provisional ballots to make up the difference.

Trivedi will face four-term Republican incumbent Jim Gerlach in November.

"Manan would be a much better member of Congress than Republican Jim Gerlach, a career politician who has let working families down again and again," Pike said in the statement. "I endorse Manan Trivedi - a doctor and veteran who served on the front lines in Iraq - and I urge my supporters to unite behind him."

Gerlach, who spoke with reporters on a conference call this afternoon, said he isn't worried about Trivedi, whom he described as a "very left-leaning gentleman."

Trivedi, 35, an Iraq war veteran from Birdsboro, Berks County, said earlier today he would not declare victory until he was certain all votes had been counted.

Pike, 60, a former Inquirer editorial writer from Tredyffrin, Chester County, was the presumptive nominee until Trivedi jumped into the race in September. Pike poured more than $1 million of his own money into his campaign coffers, and he had a 7-1 advantage in cash on hand by the end of April, according to campaign finance reports.

Pike was also the only of the two candidates who aired TV ads.

But Trivedi had strong support from party committee people. He won more than 70 percent of the endorsement votes in Montgomery and Chester County this winter. The district also includes Berks County, Trivedi's home base, and a slice of Lehigh County, but neither typically endorses during primaries.

Although Democrats slightly outnumber Republicans in the district, the race against Gerlach in the fall is expected to be close.