WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Although most of the South Florida congressional races were decided rather handily, the Republican primary for Florida's 22nd congressional district remained too close to call Wednesday morning.
Five Republicans were competing for the chance to take on incumbent U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel, D-Fla., who was unopposed in the primary.
Financial adviser Deborah Adeimy and investor Dan Franzese were in a tight race, well ahead of the three other candidates.
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Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Wendy Sartory Link said preparations were underway for a likely recount in the race.
By 4 p.m. Wednesday, the day after the primary, Franzese held a 133-vote lead over Adeimy.
There are 2,081 mail-in ballots that were flagged for signature issues and need to be verified by the voters who filled them out, according to Sartory Link.
By late Wednesday afternoon, 729 votes had already been corrected or cured and will be tabulated, although it's not known how many of those are in the 22nd District, which comprises central and south Palm Beach County.
"Any cures we receive that have not already been processed, those will come to the canvassing board or our staff will just process them," Sartory Link said.
The final count in the primary is due by 5 p.m. Thursday. If the race is within half a percentage point, then a recount will likely occur Friday.
"A lot of the counties always talk about the R-word (recount) and supervisors will say, 'Don’t say the R-word,'" Sartory Link said. "I say it's such a part of our elections process. It's such a part of what we do. We've had so many recounts, we have it down pat."
U.S. Navy veteran Rod Dorilas, Wellington businessman Peter Steven Arianas and Lake Worth-area businesswoman Carrie Lawlor were the other Republican candidates in the race.
The winner will face Frankel in the Nov. 8 general election. The former West Palm Beach mayor was first elected to the seat in 2012.
