Florida initiated its first statewide vote recount in history Saturday after state authorities determined that the tallies in the races for governor, senator and agriculture commissioner were too close to call.
After additional results came in on Saturday, Governor Rick Scott, the Republican nominee for Senate, was leading Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson by only 12,500 votes, 0.15%. A Scott representative then told reporters that Nelson should "accept reality and spare the state of the Florida the time, expense and discord of a recount," despite the results being razor-thin. Nelson, however, has shown no signs of backing down, based on a quip released following news of the recount. "We have every expectation the recount will be full and fair and will continue taking action to ensure every vote is counted without interference or efforts to undermine the democratic process. We believe when every legal ballot is counted we'll win this election."
Scott even gave a nod to President Donald Trump when he accused, without evidence, "left-wing activists in Broward County" of stealing the election on behalf of Nelson.
In the governor's race between former U.S. Representative Ron DeSantis and Tallahassee mayor Andrew Gillum, the margin was slightly larger, with DeSantis leading Gillum by 34,000 votes, or .41%. Andrew Gillum became a national figurehead during his gubernatorial campaign, earning the endorsements of politicians and celebrities alike.
Following his concession to DeSantis on election night, Andrew Gillum gave a press conference Saturday in which he revoked his yield and demanded that every single vote is recounted. "I am replacing my words of concession with an uncompromised and unapologetic call we count every single vote," Gillum said.
In the days since November 6th, tensions have heightened and protests on both sides have erupted in Florida. Throughout the hysteria and the uncertainty, it's hard not to be reminiscent of the 2000 presidential election between George Bush and Al Gore, in which a hotly contested recount was ordered, polishing off one of the most divisive midterm cycles in modern history.
To no surprise, the president tweeted out a baseless, reactionary response to the news of the recount, using inflammatory language to insinuate voter fraud was at play.
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