While the presidential race was still unclear early Wednesday, Floridians soundly said yes to medical marijuana and Republican candidates.
Republicans Marco Rubio, Ted Yoho and Keith Perry came out victorious, with Rubio defeating Patrick Murphy for U.S. Senate by 8 percent, Yoho defeating Ken McGurn for the District 8 Florida Senate seat by 17 percent and Perry beating Rod Smith by 6 percent, according to the Associated Press.
Voters overwhelmingly approved Amendment 2, which will allow doctors in Florida to prescribe medical marijuana to patients with debilitating conditions, while Amendment 1, a utility-backed attempt to limit rooftop solar-power expansion, failed to gain the 60 percent it needed to pass.
Alachua County Question 2, Wild Spaces and Public Places, passed with 60.4 percent of the vote.
For sheriff, incumbent Democrat Sadie Darnell defeated Republican challenger Jack Jacobs with 66 percent of the vote.
With about 73 percent voter turnout, 129,977 votes were cast in Alachua County, according to the Supervisor of Elections Office.
Moments after learning he would keep his seat in the Senate, Republican Ted Yoho circled the inside of The Social at Midtown — drinking beer from a clear plastic cup and taking selfies with friends and supporters.
“I feel good,” Yoho said. “We ran on a simple platform. There’s been some mudslinging, but I refuse to do negative campaigns.”
He said going into his next term, he’s excited to build on work he has already done, and he is hoping for Trump to win the presidential election. As of press time, Trump was poised to clinch the 270 votes needed for victory.
“Our legislature will go after the major things we need to go after as a nation,” he said. “We should get a lot done. If Mrs. Clinton wins, we’ll adjust.”
In Newberry, at Ballyhoo Grill, Perry — joined by family members — told his supporters that he felt honored to represent them after a hard-fought race.
“It certainly is a relief, but short-lived because now you put the politics behind you and look at policy — and that means also taking people who opposed you,” he said. “You don’t represent just the people that voted for you.”
His daughter, Alexis Perry, a 19-year-old UF biochemistry sophomore, said her father’s election has taken away from her studying time.
“I haven’t been to the library for a while because of the election,” she said. “So I’m gonna go back to the library.”
Downtown at The Warehouse Restaurant and Lounge, Darnell smiled and hugged staff members before receiving a call from Jacobs, who congratulated her on the victory for her fourth term as the head of the county’s law enforcement arm. She then gave an acceptance speech.
“Thank every single one of you in this room for this journey, this uphill journey,” she said. “The next four years are going to be absolutely great.”
Sipping red wine and wearing all white, a nod to the women’s suffrage movement, 71-year-old Maggie MacDonald watched election results pour in at the Gainesville Woman’s Club, where McGurn hosted a watch party.
Although she is heavily invested in the presidential election — she wore a laminated “Nasty Woman” sign around her neck — she said locals should show concern for who becomes their local leaders.
“It’s so important because that’s where you live and this is where we have to work to put things in the right direction,” she said.
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., addresses supporters after winning a second term in the U.S. Senate on Nov. 8, 2016 in Miami. Rubio defeated U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, a two-term congressman.
