Candidate wants
defeat overturned
The Associated Press
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- A Democratic Florida congressional candidate who lost a special election primary by five votes has filed two lawsuits asking that the result be thrown out, claiming that his opponent's support of a universal income plan amounted to bribing voters.
Dale Holness alleges Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick's support of a proposal that would pay most U.S. adults $1,000 a month was an attempt to illegally bribe voters. His lawsuit also wants counted 18 overseas mail-in ballots received from military members and others that were rejected by elections officials because they arrived after Election Day and, officials said, didn't qualify for an extension. He also says Cherfilus-McCormick should be disqualified because she did not file a financial disclosure form with the U.S. House.
Cherfilus-McCormick, a health-care company executive, won the Nov. 2 primary to replace longtime U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, who died of cancer in April. Florida's 20th District is overwhelmingly Democratic and she is heavily favored to win the January general election to fill the last year of Hastings' term. The state certified her victory two weeks ago, saying she received 11,662 votes to Holness' 11,657.
"None of the three allegations are even close to having merit. They are not in a gray area," her campaign's attorney, Mitch Ceasar, said Tuesday. He said the issues were already raised with the canvassing boards that oversaw the election and were dismissed.
Hearing dates on the lawsuits have not been set.