Republican David J. Moylan III, 62, Auburn, who ran against Democrat Matt Cartwright for the 17th district congressional seat, trailed with 57,743 votes, according to unofficial tallies.

Cartwright had 78,471 votes.

At 11:15 p.m., with 507 or 732 precincts reporting, he appeared to accept defeat.

"I prayed about this, and our prayers were answered. This is what God had in store. I'm ok with it," he said. "I guess God had other plans for me."

A political newcomer, Moylan was up against an incumbent with two years of experience.

"They had a well-oiled machine up in Lackawanna and Luzerne. That was a force to be reckoned with," he said.

Moylan, a radiation oncologist, is a political newcomer who ran on a conservative platform that included securing United States' borders to prevent illegal immigration, repealing the Affordable Healthcare Act, and outlawing abortion. He owns the Simon Kramer Institute, New Philadelphia.

Moylan swept the may primary election, with 7,056 votes. He upstaged contenders Matt Connolly of Bethlehem, who came away with 4,545 votes, and Matt Dietz of Wind Gap, who had 2,716 votes.