JACKSON - Democratic U.S. House candidate Gary Trauner said Thursday he has no plans to ask for a vote recount, but will wait to concede the election until county boards certify election results and provisional ballots are counted.

"We owe it to Wyoming's citizens, both those that voted for me and those that voted for my opponent, to ensure that all their votes have been counted and that their final selection is accurate," Trauner said at a news conference at a Jackson hotel. "We can stand for nothing less."

Recalculated totals could trigger an automatic recount if 38 votes swing Trauner's way.

Trauner said when the results are made official by county boards, and when provisional ballots are counted, "I will respect and accept the outcome." He said repeatedly that there is a process in place for exactly these kinds of close races, and that process should be allowed to play out.

According to unofficial totals, Trauner lost the election for U.S. House against incumbent Republican Barbara Cubin by 970 votes. Cubin won 93,196 votes to Trauner's 92,227. It was one of the narrowest margins in the country, with percentages of 48.3 and 47.8 percent, respectively.

Libertarian candidate Thomas Rankin took 4 percent, or 7,465 votes.

If a candidate loses by less than 1 percent of votes, state law allows for a recount. Trauner needs 38 votes to swing in his favor to qualify for an automatic recount, which the state would fund. A candidate can ask for a recount if the difference in votes is more than 1 percent, but must pay for it, unless fraud or negligence can be proven.

Trauner said there is money in his campaign to fund a recount, but he does not anticipate asking for one if the 38 votes are not found in the next week. He said he does not think there was fraud, and he doesn't intend to look for any.

County boards meet Nov. 14 and pass official election results to the state for certification.

Cubin agreed the election process should be respected.

"For Wyoming's representation in Congress to be most effective, it's essential that every vote is counted fairly," she said in a statement. "That is why it is critical to respect the pre-existing process and Wyoming's election officials who are diligently working to confirm these results. Ultimately the voters have spoken, and I was re-elected Tuesday night to continue my work to keep taxes low, protect gun rights and grow our economy."

Trauner said he had not spoken with Cubin yet. Many national news organizations, including CNN, maintain the Wyoming House race is too close to call.

Mike Gierau, chairman of the state Democratic Party, said there are people throughout the state looking into potential problems with voting machines and absentee ballots. In particular, Carbon County, Sweetwater County and Natrona County reported having some glitches.

"Is there the possibility of picking up 38 votes? I think the answer is yes," Gierau said.

He said in Natrona County, voting was favoring Trauner, but when absentee ballots were counted, things began trending "hard" the other way, which he said was unusual.

He also said he hasn't heard of any fraudulent behavior.

"No one's accusing anyone of doing anything," he said. "Honest errors can occur."

Reporter Whitney Royster can be reached at (307) 734-0260 or at royster@tribcsp.com.