Fla. Senate race keeps running on
Scott-Nelson match may head to recount
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A bitter and expensive clash between Florida’s Republican Gov. Rick Scott and Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson remains too close to call, despite Scott’s declaration of victory.
Nelson has not conceded. His campaign says it’s preparing for a recount and will have observers in every one of the state’s 67 counties to monitor the process.
Scott’s lead narrowed slightly yesterday morning to 34,537 votes out of more than 8.1 million cast — a margin of less than one half of 1 percent. Under state law in Florida, a recount is mandatory if the winning candidate’s margin is 0.5 percentage points or less.
Chris Hartline, a spokesman for Scott’s campaign, criticized the Nelson campaign for pushing ahead for a recount.
“This race is over,” Hartline said. “It’s a sad way for Bill Nelson to end his career. He is desperately trying to hold on to something that no longer exists.”
But the recount is automatic unless Nelson agrees to forgo it. Counties have until Saturday to turn in their first set of unofficial returns. If the margin remains under 0.5 percent at that point, then Secretary of State Ken Detzner is required to order the recount.
Florida was the scene of a monumental recount battle in 2000 that pitted scores of lawyers against each other in the presidential race. George W. Bush won the presidency by 537 Florida votes over Al Gore after the U.S. Supreme Court ultimately declared an end to the counting.
The stakes aren’t as high this time, but a Scott win would end the political career of the 76-year-old Nelson, who is seeking a fourth Senate term.
Scott had declared victory during an election party in his hometown of Naples late Tuesday when near-total results showed a thin lead, saying the campaign had been “divisive and tough” but that he vowed to change the direction of Washington, D.C.
“Change is never popular. I tried to use every effort to change the state of Florida and together we did,” Scott said.
The two candidates are heavyweights within each party: Nelson has withstood years of GOP dominance to remain the only Democrat elected statewide, while Scott is a twoterm governor urged by President Trump to take Nelson on.
Nelson was been viewed as one of the more vulnerable Democrats thanks to the formidable challenge from Scott, a former hospital chain CEO who has poured more than $60 million of his own fortune into his campaign.