BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – There’s finally a winner in perhaps the closest election you’ve ever heard of.
The final seat on the West Melbourne city council came down to recount between incumbent Stephen Phrampus and former councilman Adam Gaffney, who currently sits on the board of adjustment.
Earlier this week, both candidates were tied with 4,994 votes each.
Then on Friday, Brevard County’s supervisor of elections broke the tie with Phrampus winning by just one vote: 4,995 - 4,994.
Tim Bobanic read the final ballot that was counted after being delivered to the canvassing board, which also included county commissioner Tom Goodson and Judge Kelly Ingram.
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”So we have our official results now,” Bobanic began. “We did have a change. A one-vote change for Stephen Phrampus.”
Phrampus was not in attendance for the certification of the results Friday.
Gaffney texted him congratulations while Phrampus was in Hawaii celebrating his wedding anniversary.
”If I had to lose, I’m glad I lost to a vote versus a coin flip, so I guess that’s a positive piece,” Gaffney then told reporters. “So I’ll continue to serve the city, and everybody will see me again in two years.”
Gaffney said he was nervous leading up to the supervisor of elections announcing the final results.
”So when it got delayed, I was like, ‘Oh, man. Here we go again,’” he said.
Gaffney and Phrampus both told News 6 reporter James Sparvero after the results came in that the process showed that every vote matters.
“So for those of us who think it doesn’t, it truly does, and it came down to that today,” Gaffney said.
Gaffney and Phrampus have called each other friends.
Gaffney spoke about the civility of the race.
”I think West Melbourne’s different,” he said. “We truly do respect each other, and I think that’ll continue. We got a great council, and I look forward to working with them in different capacities.”
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