Rep. Soto and Elijah likely winners in close Orlando-area races

Central Florida Public Media reported that Rep. Darren Soto and candidate Elijah are all but guaranteed to win their respective races after final unofficial vote tallies were submitted to the state on Saturday.

Neither race will trigger an automatic recount under Florida law, as both candidates lead by margins just outside the 0.5% threshold. Soto leads Republican Dan Green by 0.53%, a margin of 1,506 votes, while Elijah leads Democrat Bale Dalton by 0.503%, a margin of 1,631 votes.

The final ballots counted on Friday included provisional in-person votes and mail-in ballots requiring signature verification by county canvassing boards. In both races, fewer than 300 new votes were added, insufficient to change the outcomes.

Votes from uniformed and overseas voters may still arrive under federal law, potentially extending the tallying period by up to 10 days. However, the state’s deadline for unofficial returns determining recount eligibility has passed.

The Osceola County canvassing board conducted a detailed review of ballots in Kissimmee on Friday morning, which slightly increased Soto’s lead. At the time of reporting, the Associated Press had not yet called either race.