Caldwell concedes to Fried in contested race
Republican agriculture commissioner candidate Matt Caldwell conceded the election to Democrat Nikki Fried Monday, ending the last contested statewide race in Florida.
“I have called Nikki Fried and notified her of my decision to not pursue the matter any further and I have offered to assist her in any way I can as she takes the office of Commissioner,” Caldwell said in a statement.
On Twitter, Fried posted, “I just got off the phone with my opponent [Matt Caldwell] he could not have been more gracious. I want to congratulate him on a close race and thank him for his willingness to step into the arena.”
“And to everyone who supported him, I will be your voice in Tallahassee too,” she added.
Caldwell, the only statewide GOP candidate to lose, saw his slim lead over Fried on Election Day slip away as more ballots were counted, ultimately falling behind by 6,753 votes after two rounds of additional vote-count-
ing. Caldwell joined U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson and Andrew Gillum in conceding following unsuccessful recounts.
His concession statement cited to the “abject failures” in vote-counting in Broward and Palm Beach counties, stating, “it has become clear that we may never gain an understanding of what transpired in the hours and days after polls closed, despite the exhaustive efforts of my legal team to get to the truth.”
“To continue this legal challenge would likely require millions of dollars and months to complete without providing any more clarity,” Caldwell said.
Without outright claiming fraud as Gov. Scott, President Trump and other Republicans (including his own campaign in a lawsuit last week) have claimed – so far without evidence, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and state observers – Caldwell alluded to the 1960 presidential race in which Richard Nixon conceded to John F. Kennedy despite rumors of fraud in Chicago.
“The most impressive feature of our republic is the peaceful transfer of power,” Caldwell said. “While history has vindicated that fraud was a serious part of the 1960 Presidential election, the Nation required closure and it would not be well served by prolonged and fractious litigation. … Therefore, I will no longer be pursuing a challenge to the outcome of this race.”
Fried has already announced former U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy joined her transition team. She will succeed Republican Adam Putnam, who launched an unsuccessful bid for governor in the GOP primary against Governor-elect Ron DeSantis.