Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) is now encouraging the recount efforts in the Florida Senate race where Republican Gov. Rick Scott leads incumbent Sen. Bill Nelson (D., Fla.) by 12,000 votes. But back in 2006, Schumer was not a fan of recounts and told Republicans to end their "futile" efforts in two Senate races where the Republican candidates were trailing.
"And so I'm urging with all due respect to the president today, to urge Mr. Allen to forgo this futile recount and contestation policy which will simply delay the inevitable which is that Jim Webb will be the new senator from Virginia," Schumer said in comments after the 2006 midterm elections, which were first flagged by NTK Network.
Schumer, then the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) chairman, wanted Republicans George Allen (Va.) and Conrad Burns (Mont.) to concede their Senate races. Allen lost by a margin of 7,000 votes, and Burns lost by a margin of 3,000 votes.
Schumer cited other Republicans who lost their races by fewer than 1,000 votes and still conceded without a recount to reinforce his point. He added that it would be the "gentlemanly thing to do" for the Republican candidates to concede.
Now, after the 2018 midterms, Nelson trails by a wider margin than Allen or Burns, and Schumer is encouraging a recount and is confident Nelson will be declared the winner.
"Republicans know that if this recount is conducted fairly and thoroughly that Sen. Nelson has an excellent chance of being reelected," Schumer said during a press conference on Tuesday. "If this is done fair and square, we believe Sen. Nelson has an excellent chance, a much greater than half chance of being reelected."
The recount is currently underway in Florida but there are reports some counties are experiencing mishaps and won't be able to meet the deadline to have all the votes recounted. Democrats have filed a lawsuit to extend the time for counties to tabulate the recount.