Obama claims victory in Fla.; Romney won't concede

Associated Press

TAMARA LUSH, Associated Press, TONY WINTON, Associated Press

Updated: Nov 8, 2012 5:27 PM

MIAMI (AP) — President Barack Obama is claiming victory in Florida, although all of the votes haven't been counted and the state hasn't certified the election.

Obama's campaign issued a statement late Thursday afternoon saying they had won Florida. The Associated Press has not called the race said it is still too close. Obama led Romney 49.9 percent to 49.3 percent or by about 52,000 votes. Obama does not need Florida because he has won an electoral vote majority in the rest of the country.

The Romney campaign and the Republican National Committee say they are waiting for the state to finish its count, which includes thousands of provisional ballots.

Florida is still undecided largely due to long voting lines on election night, a deluge of last-minute absentee ballots and other assorted problems.

Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Political Pulse

We welcome your thoughtful comments. Be the first to participate in the discussion. All comments will display your username and avatar.