Republican Ron DeSantis still wins Florida governor election after machine recount, margin barely moves, will likely be certified Tues., Nov. 20-Miami Herald

After machine recount DeSantis was still ahead by just under 34,000 votes.

11/15/18, “Ron DeSantis is Florida’s next governor. Margin barely budges after machine recount.” Miami Herald, Herald/Times Tallahassee Bureau, by Emily L. Mahoney, Tallahassee

“Nine days after Election Day, and one machine recount later, it is all but official: Ron DeSantis is Florida’s next governor.

The results of the statewide machine recount which rolled by the Thursday 3 p.m. deadline, solidified what most already knew, as DeSantis has already made himself busy with transitioning to power and creating a new government.

In the governor’s race, it was an anticlimactic finish to the dramatic machine recount — plagued with technical issues and an avalanche of lawsuits — with almost no change in the margin between DeSantis and his Democratic opponent, Andrew Gillum, since this weekend. Still, about .41 percentage points separate the two candidates, or just under 34,000 votes.

Just after the results were released, DeSantis sent a statement to reporters declaring victory — once again.

“I remain humbled by your support and the great honor the people of Florida have shown me as I prepare to serve as your next governor,” his statement read….

He said the campaign must now end so it can “give way to governing and bringing people together to secure Florida’s future. With the campaign now over, that’s where all of my focus will be.

“And, to this end, I invite Mayor Gillum to join me in the days ahead in a conversation about the future of our great state.”

Unlike the races for U.S. Senate and commissioner of agriculture, DeSantis’ margin of victory is not slim enough to proceed to a manual recount, which requires the race to be within one-fourth of a percentage point.

That means Thursday [11/15/18] is the end of the road, and barring a lawsuit that demands a change in procedure, the official results of the governor’s race will likely be submitted by the counties on Sunday and will likely be officially certified on Tuesday, Nov. 20….

DeSantis still had about 34,000 more votes than Gillum….Once the results of the machine recount were submitted Thursday afternoon [11/15], Gillum issued an ambiguous statement saying, “It is not over until every legally casted vote is counted.”

Meanwhile, DeSantis has posted several quick videos that have depicted him as a governor-elect…giving broad updates on the transition.

“We’re hard at work and if you want to work for the administration, if you have something to offer, send us your resume,” he said at the end of his most recent video, posted Monday.

That day, the team opened its transition office in Tallahassee and began the long work of recruiting new hires for both the governor’s office and for state agencies.”…




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