By: Mariel Carbone | WCTV Eyewitness News

November 18, 2018

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – Senator Bill Nelson has officially conceded in the race for US Senate after a manual recount confirmed that Rick Scott won the race.

Scott beat Nelson by roughly 10,000 votes.

In a video posted to Facebook, Nelson said, "I was not victorious in this race, but I still wish to strongly reaffirm the cause for which we fought. A public office is a public trust."

He went on to say, “We may have been heavily outspent in this campaign, but we were never outworked. To all Floridians, whether you voted for me or for my opponent, or whether you didn’t vote at all, I ask you to never give up this fight. You must fight to protect the fundamental right to health care. And, against any attempt to roll back our progress on things like preexisting conditions.”

Nelson was elected to the Senate in 2000 and was first elected to Congress 40 years ago. In his statement, he urged citizens and elected officials to seek common ground

“We have to move beyond a politics that aims not just to defeat, but to destroy. Where truth is treated as disposable. Where falsehoods abound and that the free press is assaulted as the enemy of the people,” he said.

In response to Nelson’s concession, Rick Scott thanked him for his years in public office. He also thanked his supporters for backing him during his campaign. He said it is now time to move forward as a state.

“Now the campaign truly is behind us, and that’s where we need to leave it. We must do what Americans have always done: come together for the good of our state and our country. My focus will not be on looking backward, but on doing exactly what I ran on: Making Washington Work,” said Scott.

“I know change is never popular in Washington and that I’m just one person – but we have to start somewhere. Over the past eight years, we brought great change to Florida. Now, we have the opportunity to do even more. Let’s get to work,” he continued.