Democrat Andrew Gillum Concedes Defeat

Washington: Andrew Gillum, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate in southeastern US state Florida, on Saturday officially conceded to his Republican rival Ron DeSantis after a vote recounting showed a margin Gillum was unlikely to close. The results of the machine recount ending Thursday in the state showed that DeSantis, a House Representative and an ally of US President Donald Trump, maintained a lead over Gillum of 0.41 per cent, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Tallahassee mayor initially conceded to DeSantis last week, but revoked that statement after further vote counts showed DeSantis’ lead was narrowing. Gillum ran a progressive campaign, promoting policies such as Medicare for all. The state’s Senate race, between Democratic Senator Bill Nelson and Republican Governor Rick Scott, and Florida’s race for agriculture commissioner are currently in the midst of a hand recount. Florida counties face a deadline of noon Eastern Time (GMT 1700) on Sunday to submit their election results by hand recount, according to local media reports. (IANS)