TAMPA, Fla., (Reuters) – Democrat Andrew Gillum, who had sought to become Florida’s first black governor, conceded yesterday, after a recount showed he had no way of catching his Republican rival Ron DeSantis, an ally of President Donald Trump.
Gillum, the 39-year-old liberal mayor of Tallahassee, had initially conceded the race on the night of the Nov. 6 election to DeSantis, a conservative former congressman. But Gillum later withdrew that concession when the results showed the two were close enough to trigger an automatic recount.
“This has been the journey of our lives. We’ve been so honored by the support that we’ve received,” Gillum said in a video statement. “Stay tuned, there will be more to come. This fight for Florida continues.”
DeSantis, 40, said on Saturday on Twitter, “This was a hard-fought campaign. Now it’s time to bring Florida together.”
