Ryan Nicol
Democratic Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell is admitting defeat Thursday following her loss to Republican Carlos Giménez in Florida’s 26th Congressional District.
“It has been the greatest honor of my life to have had the opportunity to serve Florida’s 26th Congressional District,” Mucarsel-Powell said in a Thursday morning statement.
“My campaign continues to closely monitor as all ballots, including potentially undelivered mail ballots, are counted in this race. Meanwhile, I want to congratulate Carlos Giménez on his victory. I am committed to helping with a smooth transition process so that we continue to serve our constituents during this change.”
Mucarsel-Powell resisted offering a concession Tuesday night, as results showed her trailing by around 3.5 points to Giménez.
“This election has seen historic levels of turnout in Florida and across the nation, and we are still waiting for all the votes to be counted,” Mucarsel-Powell said late Tuesday.
“What we are seeing now is our democratic process at work. I look forward to a final result when the votes have been counted and everyone’s voice has been heard.”
The writing was on the wall, however. Giménez takes the CD 26 seat after serving eight years as Miami-Dade County Mayor.
Mucarsel-Powell won the CD 26 seat in 2018 by 2 percentage points, grabbing the seat from ten-GOP Rep. Carlos Curbelo. This year saw the seat head back into Republicans’ control.
“Although this is not the result we were hoping for, I am proud to have stood with you in this fight,” Mucarsel-Powell added in her Thursday concession.
“I’m so grateful to the incredible volunteers and supporters who knocked on doors, made calls, and mobilized our community around a vision for a more just, more equitable South Florida. I still believe in everything we fought for — affordable health care, good jobs, and a clean environment, the most critical issues facing our community. There is so much more work to be done, and I promise that I will stand with you as we continue our fight for progress.”
