FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Hours after a statewide machine recount got underway to determine who Florida’s next governor and U.S. senator will be, all four candidates in contention are speaking out about the often acrimonious process.
The Democratic gubernatorial contender, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, spoke at an event in Fort Lauderdale that began at 5 p.m. on Sunday.
The event, held at New Mount Olive Baptist Church, aimed to raise funds for the Florida Action Fund.
Speaking to a large crowd, Gillum addressed the recount and why he feels it’s necessary.
“What we have accomplished even up to this point cannot be underestimated,” he said, “and now, what we are here to do today is to say ‘count every vote.’ Count every vote.”
Meanwhile, his Republican opponent, Ron DeSantis, indicated that the race is over, and he is the winner. Unofficial results show DeSantis holds a 0.41 percent lead over Gillum.
On the U.S. Senate side, new developments took place on Sunday. The campaign for Florida Gov. Rick Scott filed emergency motions, requesting that extra security steps be taken in Broward and Palm Beach counties during the recount process.
Like DeSantis, Scott said he has emerged victorious.
“There’s never been a recount that’s changed in Florida or any other state, any sort of win like that,” said Scott during an interview on Fox News Sunday, “so while we’re going to the recount, we won, the citizens of this state won. I’m going to go to D.C. and do exactly what I did in Florida: trying to change the direction of the country like we tried to change the direction of Florida.”
Scott, who currently holds a 0.14 percent lead over Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson, accused the supervisors of elections in Broward and Palm Beach of having a troubling history of breaking election laws.
Nelson, on the other hand, accused Scott of trying to prevent the choices of voters from being heard.
“No one should stand in the way of the people of our state exercising their right to vote and to have their voice heard,” he said. “Clearly, Rick Scott is trying to stop all the votes from being counted, and he’s impeding the democratic process.”
While the recount efforts continue, CNN reported that DeSantis and Scott met in Naples on Sunday to discuss the upcoming transition.
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