Government
274 votes: Brevard’s House District 33 race heads toward a likely recount
Democrat Daniel R. McDow leads Republican state Rep. Monique Miller by 274 votes in House District 33 in final unofficial results, a margin inside Florida’s 0.5% machine-recount threshold. The race has not been called.
Unofficial Brevard Supervisor of Elections results, last updated 12:08 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4, with all 166 precincts reporting. Results do not include provisional ballots or mail ballots still eligible to be cured.
Democrat Daniel R. McDow leads Republican state Rep. Monique Miller by 274 votes in Florida House District 33, a margin narrow enough that, if it holds through Friday’s count, state law requires a machine recount.
The unofficial results show McDow with 36,394 votes (50.19%) and Miller with 36,120 (49.81%), with all 33 district precincts reporting and every ballot category listed as completely reported. Florida Today said the race appears destined for an automatic recount. It has not been called.
Republicans won Brevard’s other five legislative races, Florida Today reported. Miller was elected in 2024; McDow is a former West Melbourne City Council member.
A lead that changed hands
The lead moved through the night as mail ballots were counted. At 9:04 p.m., with 32 of 33 precincts in, the results page had Miller ahead by 42 votes, 35,626 to 35,584. When the last batch posted, McDow was back in front by 274.
The recount math
Under section 102.141(7) of the Florida Statutes, a recount “shall be ordered” when the unofficial returns show a candidate was defeated “by one-half of a percent or less of the votes cast for such office.”
The two candidates received 72,514 votes combined. The 274-vote margin is 0.378% of that, under the 0.5% line, which works out to about 363 votes.
A manual recount of overvotes and undervotes is triggered under section 102.166 only if the second set of unofficial returns shows a margin of one-quarter of a percent or less, about 181 votes at the current total. The current margin is outside that range.
These are 321 Daily’s calculations from the unofficial count. The official test applies to the returns the canvassing board certifies, and totals will change as provisional and cured ballots are added. Officials could compute “votes cast for such office” differently.
The trailing candidate can waive a machine recount by asking in writing that one not be made.
The secretary of state is responsible for ordering recounts in federal, state and multicounty races, which includes this state House seat even though the district lies entirely in Brevard. The Brevard County Canvassing Board conducts any recount: Judge Kelly Ingram, the chair; County Commissioner Tom Goodson; and Supervisor of Elections Tim Bobanic.
What happens next
Thursday, Nov. 5, 5 p.m.: deadline for mail-ballot voters to fix a signature problem (5 p.m. on the second day after the election under Florida law).
Friday, Nov. 6, 1 p.m.: the canvassing board reviews mail and provisional ballots and certifies the first unofficial results, if no recount is required.
Tuesday–Thursday, Nov. 10–12, 9 a.m.: recount, if required, and certification of the second unofficial results.
Friday, Nov. 13, 2 p.m.: review of overseas mail ballots and certification of official results.
Nov. 17 or 19, 9 a.m.: post-election audit, depending on whether a recount is held.
Meetings are at the Election Support Center, 525 N. John Rodes Blvd., Melbourne, and are open to the public.
The bigger picture
Statewide, Republicans were poised to lose about 15 state House seats and their supermajority, the News Service of Florida reported. It listed Miller among House incumbents set for defeat and said her race “appeared to be within the margin for a recount.” 321 Daily found no public statement from either candidate on the results as of Wednesday morning.
Also close: Cape Canaveral’s third council seat
In the vote-for-three Cape Canaveral City Council race, Kay Jackson (2,076) and Don Willis (1,974) lead, and Dan Coon (1,457) is 18 votes ahead of Brad Pervell (1,439) for the third seat. Andrea King had 1,272. Votes for Michael Robert Mejia, who withdrew, do not count. For municipal races, the local canvassing board, not the state, orders recounts. Measured against all 8,218 votes cast in the race, 18 votes is 0.219%; against the 2,896 votes Coon and Pervell received, it is 0.62%. 321 Daily has not found an official statement on which basis applies.
Other final unofficial results
Lagoon tax renewal: passed 199,684 (75.58%) to 64,514.
County Commission District 1: Micah Loyd (R) won with 27,471 votes (58.23%).
School Board District 5: Michele McCormack finished ahead of Tammy Dennis, 23,838 (51.44%) to 22,501.
Melbourne charter question: failed by 210 votes, 13,117 to 13,327.
Turnout: 60.79%, with 271,885 ballots cast. All results are unofficial until certified.
Based on Brevard Supervisor of Elections results and notices, Florida Statutes and published reports. 321 Daily did not seek comment for this story.
