Republican challenger Richard Tisei conceded this afternoon in his fiercely close contest with US Representative John F. Tierney, 13 hours after The Associated Press called the Sixth Congressional District race for the incumbent by one percentage point.

“This has been a long, hard-fought battle and I believe that the voters deserve better representation in Washington. That’s why I ran. Nonetheless, the election results are now fully in and Congressman Tierney retains a narrow lead. I congratulate him on his victory,” Tisei, a former state senator from Wakefield, said in a statement.