Young Concedes; Cruz Declared Winner Of State Senate Race

TAMPA, FL -- With Sunday's hand recount certification by the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Office, Janet Cruz officially became the winner of the District 18 state Senate seat.

When the hand count was completed, Cruz, a Democrat, beat her Republican opponent, Dana Young, by just 382 votes. There were 207,654 votes cast for the candidates.

Cruz declared her victory with a simple statement on her Facebook page: "Just call me Senator Cruz. The official clash of the Titans comes to an end."

The battle between Cruz and Young proved to be one of the most expensive Senate battles in Florida's history. The candidates spent more than $12 million during their election bids.

It was also one of the most heated battles in this year's state Senate races, with both candidates hurling accusations.

Although Cruz declared herself the winner the day after the midterm election, Young wasn't willing to concede until the hand recount was completed.

“The supervisor of elections has finished both recounts and submitted the results," she said. "Although the final result was not what we had hoped for, I am extremely proud of the work my team did during the campaign. I wish to thank my supporters and countless volunteers, as well as all of the voters who came out to vote during the election."

Cruz, a Tampa native, was elected to the Florida House in 2010 and ran for the Senate this year on a platform that promised to stand up to the influence of the National Rifle Association, invest in public schools instead of using taxpayer money for charter schools and battle insurance companies to obtain affordable health care for Floridians.

“Senate Democrats have been on the front lines of the battles for a stronger public education system, common sense gun safety reforms, and expanding access to health care to every Floridian," she said. "I look forward to standing united with our caucus as we continue the fight for these values on behalf of working families throughout our state.”

District 18 extends from the city of Tampa west into Town N' Country.

Image via Janet Cruz

For more local news from Florida, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts and newsletters from Patch. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here.)