Republican Ron DeSantis defeats Democrat Andrew Gillum in close Florida gubernatorial race

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Andrew Gillum.
(Image credit: Don Juan Moore/Getty Images)

Republican Rep. Ron DeSantis defeated Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum (D) in Florida's gubernatorial race on Tuesday. DeSantis had 49.9 percent of the vote with 99 percent of the precincts reporting.

DeSantis was closely trailing Gillum in tight pre-election polls. Gillum had threatened to become the state's first Democratic governor in more than two decades. By keeping the office red, DeSantis marked an enormous symbolic victory for his ally, President Trump, who had campaigned in the state on his behalf.

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Jeva Lange
Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.