"We are proceeding to a recount," Nelson said Wednesday in a statement. | AP Photo Nelson, Scott race headed to recount

The razor-thin Florida Senate race between Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson and the state’s Republican Gov. Rick Scott is headed to a recount, Nelson’s campaign announced Wednesday morning.

With more than 8 million votes cast, the two candidates are separated by fewer than 35,000 votes, with Scott holding the slim lead. Nelson’s campaign sent out a statement at 1 a.m. saying it was “not the result Senator Nelson and his campaign had worked so hard for,” but that the statement was "not a concession.” Scott’s lead of 0.4 percentage points is within the one-half percent margin to trigger a recount under state law.


Once it is legally determined the race is eligible for a recount, Secretary of State Ken Detzner, a Scott appointee, must order a recount before it can begin. In addition, recounts are optional and can be declined by the candidate with fewer votes.

“No one, not even a candidate, political party or political committee can request a recount; however, the candidate that was eliminated or defeated could ask that no recount be held,” said Sarah Revell, a Florida Department of State spokesperson.

Florida is not new to the election recount national spotlight. In 2000, the U.S. Supreme Court had decide the outcome in Florida in that year’s presidential race between George W. Bush and Al Gore. Ultimately, the court settled in favor of Bush, who went on to win the state by 537 votes and serve two terms as president.

Scott spokesperson Chris Hartline hammered the move.

“This race is over. It’s a sad way for Bill Nelson to end his career,” Hartline said in an email. “He is desperately trying to hold onto something that no longer exists.”

Florida’s 67 counties now must recheck their tallies, a process they initially have until noon on Nov. 10 to complete. In addition, Nelson’s campaign is sending monitors to every county across the state. The campaign is already working with well-known Democratic attorney Marc Elias with the firm Perkins Coie.

Nelson’s campaign is already fundraising for the recount effort. An email was sent about an hour after the recount was announced asking donors to help.

“We know Rick Scott and the GOP are about to pile everything they’ve got into this, and I need you right here with me to make sure every last vote is counted,” said Nelson in the email, a copy of which was sent to POLITICO.

It included a link to a Nelson recount page setup with ActBlue, a site that helps Democrats raise large amounts of money online. The account is separate from Nelson’s original campaign account. Contributions, which are capped at $2,700 for individuals and $5,000 for political action committees, can only be used for recount-related activities.

Nelson has long been at a resources disadvantage. Scott boosted his campaign with $51 million in personal money, while Nelson raised just under $30 million, an amount that does not include help he received from national Democrats.

Elias hinted at some areas of the state that will get the campaign’s focus in a recount. He noted a Tampa Bay Times story where Madison County’s GOP Supervisor of Election Thomas Hardee, a Scott appointee, was quoted saying he wanted to meet with Nelson to “eat his lunch” over claims Nelson made that Russians had been interfering in Florida’s 2018 midterm elections.

“I was trying to give him as much of a fit as I could,” Hardee told the newspaper.

Elias singled that comment out and said they would be watching supervisors across the state.

"We expect the supervisors, regardless of their party affiliation, will discharge their constitutional duties," Elias said.