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Democrat Dan McDow wins close race for Florida House
Recount results show Dan McDow is the representative-elect for House District 33. The former West Melbourne councilman campaigned on the affordability crisis of insurance and utilities, as well as transparency in politics.
PALM BAY, Fla. - Florida may have avoided a Democratic wave, but Democrats scored a significant victory in Brevard County, where a state House seat flipped blue for the first time in more than a decade.
McDow wins by 286 votes
Local perspective:
Democrat Dan McDow secured the win in Florida House District 33 by 286 votes over Republican Monique Miller following a machine recount finalized this week.
McDow was traveling to Tallahassee on Wednesday as he prepared to take office.
"We’re going to get to work, and we’re going to do what you asked me to do," McDow said.
Affordability a key campaign focus
Big picture view:
The former West Melbourne City Council member and small-business owner campaigned for about 16 months, focusing on affordability issues, including insurance and utility costs, as well as transparency in government.
McDow said his campaign centered on finding solutions and convincing voters that change was possible.
Victory breaks Republican supermajority
He said the victory was especially significant because the district had been reliably Republican since he moved to the area in 2010.
"I moved here in 2010, and it’s been red since I’ve been here," McDow said.
His victory also has statewide implications, breaking the Republican supermajority in the Florida House. Democrats now hold 50 of the chamber's 120 seats following the November election.
Election results awaiting certification
What's next:
McDow said his campaign anticipated a close race but was surprised by the narrow margin.
"I think this is going to get close, and we had always known it was going to stretch, but we didn’t think it was going to be this close," he said.
The Brevard County Canvassing Board is scheduled to certify the election results Friday.
The Source: This story was written based on information shared by th eBrevard County Supervisor of Elections and Dan McDow.