The campaign for U.S. Rep. Allen West, R-Palm Beach Gardens, isnt ready to concede and even though the numbers put the contest outside the margins for a recount, he has called for a hand recount in St. Lucie County.
The supervisor of elections office botched the election, he claims.
This race is far from decided and there is no rush to declare an outcome, Wests campaign manager Tim Edson stated in a release.
On his campaign Facebook page, West claimed longtime St. Lucie County Supervisor of Elections Gertrude Walker displayed hostility and incompetence.
The St. Lucie County supervisor of elections office clearly ignored proper rules and procedures, and the scene at the supervisors office last night could only be described as complete chaos, West wrote.
The Palm Beach Post reports that West has filed motions for injunctions in St. Luice and Palm Beach counties to impound ballots and voting machines in preparation for a recount and that Walker has sealed ballots at the request of Wests attorney.
Neither Walker, a Democrat first elected to the office in 1980, nor her office immediately returned calls for comment.
West appears to have been defeated by Democrat Patrick Murphy, 160,328 (50.4 percent) to 157,872 (49.6 percent).
The gap is beyond the 0.5 percent margin that triggers an automatic recount.
County elections officials have until noon Saturday to certify results, at which time the need for any recount will be determined.
In St. Lucie County, where elections officials left a machine containing voting results at a precinct until after midnight, Murphy topped West 65,896 to 52,625 following a "recount" held by the elections office, according to the West campaign statement.
Given the hostility and demonstrated incompetence of the St. Lucie County supervisor of elections, we believe it is critical that a full hand recount of the ballots take place in St. Lucie County," the West campaign stated.
"We will continue to fight to ensure every vote is counted properly and fairly, and accordingly we will pursue all legal means necessary.
In the bitter and expensive contest, West won Republican-leaning Martin County 43,290 to 32,486, and edged Murphy in Northern Palm Beach County 61,957 to 61,946.
The candidates raised more than $20 million, with the conservative firebrand West hauling in $17 million. Both drew heavy outside funding, with Murphys father putting up $250,000 for one outside attack groups ad.
Murphy and the Florida Democratic Party have already declared victory and have called for West to concede.
"Even though the numbers show a "clear defeat" for tea partier Allen West, he's stubbornly refusing to concede in Florida's 18th Congressional District -- even in light of overwhelming news reports projecting victory for Democrat Patrick Murphy," the Florida Democratic Party stated in a release.
"On a conference call with reporters this afternoon, Florida Democrats called on Congressman West to respect the democratic process and the results of the election, so that the people of Palm Beach and southern Florida can move forward with their democratically chosen elected representative."
Reach Jim Turner at jturner@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 215-9889.
