Stockton native Dino Cortopassi refused to concede on Wednesday, holding onto hope that vote-by-mail and provisional ballots will give his Proposition 53 a comeback win.

Prop. 53 trailed 51 percent to 49 percent, or by nearly 250,000 votes statewide. According to published reports there may be millions of votes outstanding. The measure would force a public vote on state megaprojects such as the Delta tunnels and high-speed rail. In a prepared statement, Cortopassi compared the campaign against Prop. 53 to the Germans’ blitzkrieg on Poland in 1939. Opponents, including Gov. Jerry Brown, raised more than $22 million while Cortopassi and his wife, Joan, spent about $5 million.