Florida governor race: Andrew Gillum vs. Ron DeSantis

Democrat Andrew Gillum conceded his historic race to become Florida’s first black governor Saturday evening — for good this time.

Gillum, a Tallahassee mayor who had elicited national excitement in a year of banner Democratic candidates, had previously conceded the race on election night, only to withdraw that when Florida announced a recount for the gubernatorial race.

There is no evidence of voter fraud in Florida. But as Republicans face the increasing possibility that last week’s midterm elections didn’t turn out as great for them as they initially thought, GOP officials are claiming voter fraud anyway.

Over the past week, the vote count has narrowed in Florida’s gubernatorial and Senate races. On Wednesday morning, Republican Ron DeSantis led Democrat Andrew Gillum in the governor’s race by nearly 72,000 votes, and Republican Rick Scott led Democrat Bill Nelson by around 51,000 votes. That’s now changed: In the final count, DeSantis only led Gillum by less than 34,000 votes, and Scott led Nelson by less than 13,000 votes. Both of the tallies are close enough that a recount is underway — and a recount could very well flip the results.

Republican Ron DeSantis has likely defeated Democrat Andrew Gillum, the young Tallahassee mayor who was vying to become the first black governor in Florida history, to keep the Sunshine State’s governor’s mansion in GOP hands.

The Associated Press called the race for DeSantis on Election Night, and Gillum initially conceded. But the race is headed for a recount. DeSantis leads Gillum by more than 30,000 votes — a gap unlikely to be closed even in a recount — but the margin is within 0.5 points, which triggers a recount under Florida law.

Update: Democrat Andrew Gillum has lost to Republican Ron DeSantis in the Florida governor’s race.

Democrat Andrew Gillum has turned the Florida governor’s race into one of the most hotly anticipated contests of 2018, as he runs against Republican Ron DeSantis.

On Tuesday, there is perhaps no state more important for Democrats to win than Florida.

Democrats need to hold onto every Senate seat they can — and Florida Sen. Bill Nelson is in the fight of his life against Republican Rick Scott. A Democratic governor could have a huge impact on redrawing the state’s congressional maps and pushing forward on Medicaid expansion, and Democrat Andrew Gillum is energizing Florida’s young and minority voters.

Andrew Gillum pulled out a surprise win in Florida’s Democratic primary for governor — upsetting presumed frontrunner Gwen Graham for the nomination. Now, all eyes are on him on election night.

Gillum, 39, is the mayor of Tallahassee. From the start of his candidacy, he ran on a progressive platform that includes Medicare-for-all and a $15 minimum wage, and was endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and progressive billionaire Tom Steyer.

Florida voters are still casting ballots in the race for governor, but already some liberals can’t help but ask: Could Democrat Andrew Gillum be their answer to 2020?

The 39-year-old African-American mayor of Tallahassee is in a dead heat with white 40-year-old pro-Trump Republican Ron DeSantis. Gillum lit up national progressives by pitching voters on an unabashedly progressive platform, including Medicare-for-all, environmental protections, and criminal justice reform. He picked up Sen. Bernie Sanders’s (I-VT) endorsement early in the primary and built on that momentum.