Florida election officials have missed the deadline for the recount Allen West requested, which under state law means that the results stand as they are and the freshman West will lose by more than half a percentage point.
Because of the missed deadline, West’s Democratic challenger Patrick Murphy’s campaign has declared victory, reports The Washington Times . Anthony Kusich, campaign manager for Murphy, stated:
“Today at noon, it became clear that Patrick Murphy will be officially certified as the next congressman from the 18th Congressional District.”
The missed deadline in the West-Murphy recount will also put more pressure on Florida’s Secretary of State Ken Detzner and Governor Rick Scott to certify the election results.
The county canvassing board in St. Lucie County agreed to a full recount of early ballots on Friday, but failed to finish by noon on Sunday, meaning the results that stood before the recount will be forwarded to the state for final certification on Tuesday.
Despite the deadline being missed, Allen West still refuses to concede the election, according to NBC News . Tim Edson, West’s campaign manager, said in a statement:
“This election is far from over. We will continue to fight on behalf of all voters in District 18 to ensure a fair and accurate count of their votes.”
Allen West was elected to office in 2010 as a part of the Tea Party Republican wave. He has amassed one of the largest campaign war chests among House Republicans with supporters that include Americans for Prosperity. Murphy is a political newcomer, but was still able to run a well-backed campaign that focused on painting West as a divisive right-wing extremist.
While the election results showing Allen West losing are likely to be certified on Wednesday, the Republican Representative can still contest them once they are certified.
