ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — Too close to call.
The results in a St. Johns County Commission race are so tight, a recount might be necessary.
Incumbent Jeremiah Blocker has 49.75 percent of the vote and Krista Keating-Joseph barely took the lead with 50.25 percent.
"I felt I could win and I was hoping I could," Krista Keating-Joseph told First Coast News Wednesday. She is new to politics. She ran for St. Johns County Commission District 4, believing she can slow down the approval of new neighborhoods in the county.
"I think growth has affected everyone’s lives," she said.
Keating-Joseph lives in Ponte Vedra and so she ran against incumbent Jeremiah Blocker.
At the end of election night, fewer than 200 votes separated Keating-Joseph and Blocker. That's less than a percentage point.
Keating-Joseph believes the results were so close because "I think people are tired of the over-development and the unbridled growth and that was my message."
She believes that stance on overdevelopment is what separated her from Blocker.
Blocker did not respond to interview request or comments requests for this story.
According to the St. Johns County Supervisor of Elections, there are still 366 mail-in ballots with signature issues. Thursday is the deadline to resolve those case. There are also some provisional ballots that need to be assessed. The canvassing board will meet Friday to review those remaining mail-in and provisional ballots.
And then, if the vote difference between the candidates is a half percentage point or less, there will be a machine recount.
"I’m hoping we don’t have to have a recount but if I do, I’m very confident without how they do it," Keating-Joseph said.