Florida Republican who lost special election by 59 points refuses to concede, files suit

A Florida Republican took a page out of former Donald Trump's playbook this week, refusing to concede a congressional special election he lost by more than 59 points in one of the state's most Democratic districts. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, a health care executive who supports progressive policies like Medicare for All, the Green New Deal and a $1,000-per-month universal basic income, earlier this week defeated Republican Jason Mariner to succeed the late Rep. Alcee Hastings, a Democrat who served more than 14 terms in Congress before his death last April. RELATED: GOP keeps the Big Lie alive in New Jersey: Republican candidate refuses to concede race for governor Cherfilus-McCormick, who faced a failed lawsuit from Democratic primary foe Dave Holness after defeating him by a mere five votes, shrugged off Mariner's refusal to accept his defeat. Democrats and their supporters have grown increasingly alarmed over the Republican Party's refusal to accept the will of the voters, as Republican lawmakers continue to cite doubts about "election integrity" — doubts they themselves have stoked — as a justification for impose draconian new voting restrictions across the country.