with more than 8 million votes cast , the two candidates are separated by fewer than 35,000 votes , with scott spokesman chris hartline hammered the move .
| jeff j mitchell getty images elections nelson , scott race headed to recount the razor - thin florida senate race between democratic sen. bill nelson and the state ’s republican gov.
under florida , a recount if the margin is less .
florida in that year ’s presidential race is over .
rick scott is headed to a recount , nelson ’s campaign announced wednesday morning .
scott declared victory tuesday night , but nelson by slightly more than 30,000 votes out of more than 8.1 million votes cast .
scott spokesman chris hartline criticized nelson for pushing for a recount , calling it a " sad way " for him to end his political career .
” story continued below in a followup statement at 10 a.m. wednesday , nelson ’s campaign announced that overnight the lead shrunk to a 0.4 percent lead for scott , which is within the one - half percent margin to trigger a recount under state law .
nelson 's campaign put out a statement .