Ultimately, even a hand recount didn't shift the final margin of the race too much. Scott's win means Republicans have picked up two Senate seats even as the GOP lost substantial ground in the House.
Nearly two weeks after Election Day, a statewide recount showed that Republican Gov. Rick Scott continued to hold the lead in the Senate race against incumbent Democrat Bill Nelson.
The state is tasked with hand-counting more than 50,000 ballots. Some counties finished quickly Friday morning, with official results due on Sunday. Lawsuits are still working through the courts.
Of Florida's 67 counties, 66 were able to complete machine recounts in the races for governor and Senate. Official results are due Sunday, but a deluge of lawsuits could still change that.
DeSantis, a Republican, appears to have edged his Democratic opponent, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, for the governorship. Meanwhile, Sen. Bill Nelson's re-election bid remains too close to call.
Republican candidates are speaking up about environmental issues that have plagued Florida's waters — and tourism industry — this summer, as Democrats say their opponents haven't done enough.
Florida has a growing bloc of Puerto Rican voters in the wake of Hurricane Maria. Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson and his main challenger, GOP Gov. Rick Scott, are fighting over recovery efforts.