Local election officials are conducting a recount to confirm the winner in last week’s race for Alachua County sheriff.

The Alachua County Supervisor of Elections office started the recount Sunday and it continues Monday, communications director Aaron Klein told Mainstreet in an email.

Last week’s election results showed former Alachua Police Department Chief Chad Scott defeating current Alachua County Sheriff Emery Gainey by just 415 votes out of 133,612 ballots, according to the Supervisor of Elections office.

The margin between Scott and Gainey was 0.31%. Florida law requires a machine recount in elections decided by 0.5% or less. If the machine recount shows a margin of 0.25% or less, it would trigger a manual recount, according to Ballotpedia.

The Supervisor of Elections office has until Thursday to finish the initial recount, per state law.

Both Scott and Gainey said on election night that they expected a recount. The two ran a spirited campaign in a race that also included independent Pamela Marshall-Koons, who captured 6.37% of the vote.

Gainey has served as Alachua County sheriff since September 2023, when Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed him following the resignation of Clovis Watson Jr.

Gainey ran unopposed on the Republican ticket in the August primaries. During his time in office, he has emphasized rebuilding staffing levels at the sheriff’s office and opened several new precinct offices.  

Scott, a Democratic challenger who has been in law enforcement for 35 years, said his top two priorities as sheriff would be enhancing community policing, including increasing officer presence in communities, and expanding mental health resources within the department.