Former SM blogger and political pundit Cicatrix, accurately predicted last night that the tight race down in Florida was headed for a contentious recount battle. Don Sherrill, the “off-color” incumbent, beat upstart challenger Tom Abraham by only 19 votes. To quote Cicatrix: “hey Florida! reeeeeeecount!!” The Orlando Sentinel reports:

With a difference of less than two dozen votes, a two-term council member who recently made off-color statements about his Indian-born opponent’s ethnicity was returned to serve on the City Council on Tuesday.

Don Sherrill, who has served on Seat 4 of the council the past four years, is the apparent winner after garnering 51 percent of the vote against his opponent, Tom Abraham.

Election officials said 19 votes cast Tuesday and some provisional ballots, which were not included in Tuesday’s total, separated the two at day’s end.

Sherrill did not return calls Tuesday night. Abraham, who said he was “totally confused with the election process,” asked for a public-records inspection of the votes. Supervisor of Elections Ann McFall said Abraham could have an inspection of the ballots sometime next week with Sherrill present.

Quite frankly, I am not sure how this will go down if it ends up at the Supreme Court. John Roberts and Samuel Alito (who I predict will be confirmed) tend to yield to states rights. At least Katherine Harris is out of the picture…we hope.

Sherrill’s comments, which ranged from being unable to understand Abraham to comparing him with a Sept. 11 terrorist, drew out some, including neighbors from his Country Village retirement community who voted against him and others who credited him for speaking out.

I’m gonna offer to drive the truck.