EDlection2018: Republican Rick Scott Narrowly Leads in Florida Senate Race, With Recount Likely
EDlection2018: We have analyzed numerous races in the 2018 midterms that have the potential to impact state or federal education policy. Stay updated with the latest news by subscribing to Newsletter.
The Florida U.S. Senate race, which heavily focused on education, is likely to undergo a recount as of mid-day Wednesday, reminiscent of the controversy surrounding the hanging chads in the past.
Republican candidate Rick Scott, currently serving as Florida’s governor, is leading Democratic incumbent Sen. Bill Nelson by approximately 30,000 votes, accounting for 0.38 percent of the total votes, according to state records. If the margin of victory is less than 0.5 percent, Florida law mandates an automatic recount.
Scott’s campaign has declared victory and considers the call for a recount as a disappointing conclusion to Nelson’s career, as reported by Politico. Although Republicans have already secured their majority in the Senate, flipping a seat in a crucial electoral state like Florida holds significant importance.
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(Stay updated with our liveblog for further updates on Senate races and other contests across the nation.)
Education played a prominent role in this race, encompassing discussions on funding, the national rankings of Florida’s schools, and issues of school safety and gun control following the Parkland shooting earlier this year.
In September, Scott aired an advertisement highlighting Florida’s reputedly superior test scores in the 4th and 8th grades, advanced placement (AP) classes, overall college education, and record-high spending on schools. Nelson promptly responded with his own advertisement, alleging that Scott had slashed funding for public schools by over $1 billion, resulting in a ranking of 40th among all states and a shortage of teachers.
However, independent fact-checkers at the Orlando Sun-Sentinel found both claims to be partially inaccurate. Scott exaggerated Florida’s top position in terms of growth on the National Assessment of Educational Progress tests for overall proficiency, using AP class enrollment as a misleading yardstick instead of the actual number of students who passed AP exams with a sufficient grade to receive college credit.
While there were indeed substantial cuts to education funding under Scott’s tenure, much of it occurred during the Great Recession and has since been largely restored. Although per-pupil funding has reached its highest point ever, it still falls considerably below the national average.
In addition, the two candidates engaged in a heated debate on gun control and school safety in October. Nelson accused Scott of being too closely aligned with the NRA, while Scott criticized Nelson for his perceived lack of action on gun control during his almost 18-year tenure in the Senate.
EDlection2018: We have thoroughly examined numerous races in the 2018 midterms that have the potential to shape state or federal education policy. Stay informed with the latest news by subscribing to Newsletter.
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