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The mayor of Tallahassee, Democratic candidate for governorship in Florida, Andrew Gillum, concedes the race to US representative Ron DeSantis during his mid-term election in Tallahassee, Florida on November 6, 2018. REUTERS / Colin Hackley
(Reuters) – Democrat Andrew Gillum, who sought to become Florida's first black governor, admitted Saturday that his poll was almost over. He congratulated Republican rival Ron DeSantis, an ally of President Donald Trump.
Gillum, the liberal mayor of Tallahassee, initially conceded the race to DeSantis, a former conservative congressman. But Gillum later withdrew the concession when the results were close enough to allow an automatic recount. On Saturday, he said the process was coming to an end.
"It was the journey of our lives. We were so honored with the support we received, "Gillum said in a video statement. "Stay tuned, there will be others to come. This fight for Florida continues. "
DeSantis said on Twitter: "It was a hard-fought campaign. It is now time to reunite Florida. "
After Gillum initially conceded the contest on election night, his subsequent calls for every vote to be counted echoed similar calls from his colleague, US Democratic Senator Bill Nelson.
A recount continues in the race between Nelson and his rival at the Senate seat, outgoing Republican governor Rick Scott.
The recount is now the subject of intense political battle with Republicans, including Trump, who says without proof that the process was tainted by fraud.
Both parties and their supporters have filed numerous lawsuits to challenge the process. Republicans called for a strict standard on which votes were counted, while Democrats challenged rules they considered to be voters deprived of their rights.
Report by Letitia Stein; Copywriting by Daniel Wallis, edited by G Crosse and Cynthia Osterman
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