Tallahassee Democratic Mayor Andrew Gillum is considering the possibility of seeking a recount on Thursday in response to his close but failed bid to become governor of the Sunshine State.
“On Tuesday night, the Gillum for Governor campaign operated with the best information available about the number of outstanding ballots left to count,” Gillum spokeswoman Johanna Cervone said in a statement provided to The Hill.
“Since that time, it has become clear there are many more uncounted ballots than was originally reported. Our campaign, along with our attorney Barry Richard, is monitoring the situation closely and is ready for any outcome, including a state-mandated recount.”
Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) was able to defeat Gillum during the hard-fought midterm election on Tuesday.
Gillum was down by just one percentage point when he conceded defeat in a tough election battle that went late into the night Tuesday.
He is now down by about 43,000 votes at 0.6 percentage points.
Related: Progressive Agenda on Horizon if Florida Voters Choose Gillum
The RealClearPolitics (RCP) polling average showed DeSantis struggling in the polls during the months leading up to the election. He was trailing by 2.5 to 4.5 percentage points, but was eventually able to bridge that gap to about one percentage point in the middle of October.
Just one percentage point separated the two candidates.
Gillum was among the handful of up-and-coming Democratic candidates who have pursued a more progressive agenda. He supports impeaching President Donald Trump, abolishing the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, and backing taxpayer-funded Medicare for All.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is among the notable progressives and self-described socialists who have backed his campaign.
Gillum was also supported by New Yorker Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — who, at age 29, won her bid for the House — and former President Barack Obama, who campaigned for Gillum during a recent rally in Miami.
Related: DeSantis and Scott Cruise Through GOP Primaries in Florida
President Donald Trump just barely won the state back during the presidential election of 2016 by just 1.2 percentage points.
DeSantis — who has been a vocal supporter of the president and his agenda — endorsed him. Trump held dozens of rallies across the country to stir support for conservative candidates in the midterms, including 11 different rallies across the country in the final week of campaigning.
The midterms overall drew a considerable amount of attention. The Center for Responsive Politics released a report last week projecting that the current midterm elections will be the most expensive ever at more than $5.2 billion.
Every prior election didn’t even surpass $4.2 billion in spending when adjusted for inflation. The overall estimated cost would represent a 35 percent increase from 2014.
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