UPDATED AT 11:55 P.M.: A sweet ending to a bitter campaign for Republican Gov. Rick Scott, who wont have to pack his bags and leave Tallahassee for another four years.
In the costliest and one of the closest, and most hotly contested elections in Florida history, Scott secured a victory over former Gov. Charlie Crist, taking nearly 49 percent of the vote.
"The campaign is over," said Scott, announcing his win to a cheering crowd. "We have made great strides over the last four years. Now is the time to charge boldly ahead...we will become number one."
Sunshine State News was the first to call the governor's race at 9:38 p.m.
Addressing his disappointed supporters, Crist stood somberly at the podium with his wife Carole and running mate Annette Taddeo and thanked his campaign team, supporters and "wonderful new friends throughout Florida. ...
"I called Rick Scott and congratulated him and wished him well," Crist said. "I campaigned not for the right or the left but for what was right for Florida. ... We still have a million Floridians uninsured by Medicare. And I talked to the governor about that ..."
Crist did not hint at what he has planned going forward.
The Republican Party held a slight lead over Democrats in early and absentee voting and ultimately secured victory on Election Day -- over 5.8 million Floridians cast ballots in the 2014 election, a slight increase from 2010s 5.3 million votes.
Scott took nearly 2.8 million votes while Crist had 2.7 million votes.
Crist and Scott ping-ponged back and forth in an up-and-down vote count. Crist gained ground in South Florida counties on Tuesday, but it wasnt enough to send him back to the governors mansion.
Scotts victory over Crist comes after one of the most negative campaigns Florida has ever seen. The two candidates were relentless in their criticisms over each other, going back and forth for months on end in a tit-for-tat battle of attacks. According to the Center for Public Integrity, ads cost a record-breaking $81 million, a total higher than any other state-level races across the country.
Scott even funneled some of his own money -- though its unknown exactly how much -- into the race, with his campaign spending $74 million on television ads alone.
Scott and the Republican Party painted Crist as a slick politician and honed in on a struggling economy as the primary reason they considered Crist a failed governor. In contrast, Scotts camp touted the states economic recovery as the governors driving force to be re-elected.
Crist's camp and the Florida Democratic Party said Scott wasn't entirely trustworthy, pointing to his time as HCA/Columbia CEO during a fraud investigation as signs of a shady personality.
The ads covered a wide range of topics -- from Scotts pleading the Fifth Amendment 75 times to Crists close associations with crooks and Ponzi schemers like former RPOF chair Jim Greer and Scott Rothstein.
Polling between the two candidates remained close until the very end. Some polls had Scott up one day, then Crist up the next -- but the majority showed the two politicians virtually tied.
Support flooded in for Scott after he walked away with the win.
New Jersey Gov. andchairman of the Republican Governors Association (RGA)Chris Christie, who had campaigned several times for Scott over the last few months, offered his congratulations to the governor on his win.
"Gov. Scotts message in this campaign was one of true progress, and his victory is a testament to the real results he has achieved for Florida," he said.
Floridians made the right choice, said former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. Congratulations to my friend Rick Scott on a well-deserved victory! Rick Scott delivered on the promises he made when he campaigned for his first term, and I know he will continue to work hard for our state every single day."
This is a breaking story. Check back for updates.
Reach Tampa-based reporter Allison Nielsen by email atallison@sunshinestatenews.comor follow her on Twitter: @AllisonNielsen
