Democrat Andrew Gillum lost his bid to become Florida's first black governor on Tuesday, suffering a razor-thin defeat to Republican Ron DeSantis in a contest that drew national attention and allegations of race-baiting.
"I want to encourage you not to give up," Gillum, the 39-year-old mayor of Tallahassee, told supporters in conceding the race. "I still plan to be on the front lines alongside every one of you when it comes to standing up and fighting for what we believe in."
Republicans also scored a major victory in Ohio, where Mike DeWine, the state attorney general, defeated Democrat Richard Cordray, who served as the first director of the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.