Of the eight new seats that Democrats picked up in the House of Representatives in November, four of them come from Florida.
Democrats were aided by a big turnout for President Obama, plus new rules that helped erase a Republican advantage in how districts are drawn in the Sunshine State.
Congressman Allen West has given up. According to an early post from Politico, the one-term Tea Party favorite from South Florida has acknowledged there's no way he can overcome Democratic opponent Patrick Murphy's 1,904-vote victory margin in District 18, which spreads over St. Lucie, Martin and Palm Beach counties.
One of South Florida's leading constitutional scholars says U. S. Rep. Allen West is likely to lose his fight to recount the votes in District 18 and regain the seat he appears to have lost to Democrat Patrick Murphy.