Locklin Holds Off Concession as Diaz-Balart Is Declared Winner
The race for Florida’s 26th Congressional District remained unresolved on November 9, as Democrat Nicole Locklin said she would wait for all votes to be counted before conceding to Republican incumbent Mario Diaz-Balart. Diaz-Balart has declared victory, and The Associated Press reported that he won reelection to the U.S. House.
Diaz-Balart leads Locklin by about 1,700 votes. The race was described as too close to call late Monday afternoon, and it was unclear when an official determination would come.
Florida law requires an automatic machine recount if the margin between the candidates falls below 0.50%. Locklin’s decision to withhold a concession leaves the focus on the remaining count and whether the final margin meets that threshold.
Locklin Waits for Every Vote as Florida House Race Remains Close
Nicole Locklin is insisting that Florida’s 26th Congressional District race be judged only after all votes are counted. The Democrat said on November 9 she would not concede to Republican incumbent Mario Diaz-Balart, who has declared victory and was reported by The Associated Press to have won reelection.
Diaz-Balart’s lead is about 1,700 votes, and the contest was still too close to call late Monday afternoon. The result therefore remains tied to the count and the margin between the candidates, despite the declaration of victory.
Florida law provides for an automatic machine recount if the margin falls below 0.50%. Locklin’s refusal to concede keeps attention on that threshold and on whether the final tally triggers a recount. In a close election, counting all votes and applying the recount rule are central to establishing the outcome.
Diaz-Balart Wins Reelection as Locklin Declines to Concede
Republican Mario Diaz-Balart has won reelection to the U.S. House in Florida’s 26th Congressional District, while his Democratic opponent, Nicole Locklin, is withholding a concession. Diaz-Balart has declared victory, and The Associated Press reported his reelection on November 9.
The incumbent leads Locklin by about 1,700 votes. The race was still described as too close to call late Monday afternoon, and Locklin said she would wait until all votes were counted before conceding.
Florida law requires an automatic machine recount if the margin drops below 0.50%. The result now turns on the final count and whether the margin reaches that legal threshold. Locklin’s decision leaves the contest formally unsettled from her perspective even as Diaz-Balart’s reelection has been declared.
Reported by WSVN 7News, The Philadelphia Inquirer, CBS Miami, Local 10 Miami.
