Florida voters back GOP candidates in tight midterms

Republican Byron Donalds leads Democrat David Jolly by 1.4 percentage points in the race for governor, with 50.1 percent of the vote against Jolly's 48.7 percent. The narrow margin places the contest within the margin of error as counts from Miami-Dade and Broward counties continue to arrive.

Voters in South Florida cast ballots on Tuesday in a midterm election that includes races for the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House, and several statewide offices. The election also featured Amendment 3, a constitutional proposal to expand homestead property tax exemptions, and a vote on retaining State Supreme Court Justice Carlos Muniz.

In the U.S. Senate race, Republican Ashley Moody holds a 50.9 percent lead over Democrat Angie Nixon, who has 48 percent of the vote. The contest remains close as officials tally the remaining precincts.

Five of the six Florida congressional districts in the region have declared winners as of 11:30 p.m. Tuesday. Democrat Pia Dandiya won the 22nd District with 51.9 percent of the vote, while Democrat Lois Frankel secured the 23rd District with 65.6 percent. Democrat Oliver Gilbert captured the 24th District with 80.7 percent of the vote.

Democrat Jared Moskowitz won the 25th District with 51.2 percent, and Republican Carlos Giménez took the 28th District with 52.9 percent. The 26th and 27th Districts remained undecided at that time, with margins under one percentage point for both Republican candidates.

Republican James Uthmeier leads Democrat Jose Rodriguez for Attorney General by a 1-point margin. Other statewide offices are closely contested, with Republican candidates leading in the races for Chief Financial Officer, Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner, and Lieutenant Governor by margins between 2.2 and 2.8 percentage points.