Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio won his re-election bid Tuesday night, fending off a challenge by Democratic U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy for a second term.
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Several hundred supporters packed into a ballroom at the Hilton Miami Airport on Tuesday night to watch the results roll in on big screens. Ultimately, they cheered on their winning candidate.
"This is an extraordinary place, Florida. It is a collection of all the things that make us the greatest nation in all the Earth. Of people who have lived here for decades, of the descendants of slaves, of the children of immigrants. Florida is America," Rubio told the crowd.
Iraida "Iris" Valdes, originally from Cuba, has lived in the U.S. for more than 50 years. She said she had a personal connection to the senator, after Rubio helped her sister achieve citizenship.
"He helped my family. He is a person that is simple and reachable and transparent," she said. "You can come to him and talk to him and he remembers you. That's the kind of guy he is."
Back in March, Rubio dropped out of the presidential primary race, losing the Sunshine State to opponent Donald Trump.
Rubio thanked his supporters, many of whom canvassed the state, knocking on hundreds of doors and making countless phone calls on his behalf for weeks or months.
“There were a lot of phone calls, a lot of hours put into it," said Thomas Gamma, an intern for the campaign.
Among those at the Miami hotel on Tuesday night were a group of interns who said this was the culmination of a long campaign cycle.
“We won, so I am very happy. I feel like my hard work has gone to good use, and I’m looking forward to the next six years of Rubio in the Senate," said Ashley Plotkin, an intern for the Rubio campaign.
Rubio also said he called Murphy to congratulate him on a good race. He praised him and said he, too, had a bright future in public service ahead of him.
"Congressman Murphy is a young man with a bright future, and I thanked him for his willingness to step forward in public service," he said.
In Palm Beach Gardens, Murphy thanked his supporters for standing by him after Rubio got back in the race early this summer.
"When we started this campaign it was in that very spirit," Murphy said. "That hope is stronger than hate. And we did it on a promise that we were going to work hard for all Floridians, all Florida families. And it's been the honor of a lifetime to be your Florida Democratic nominee," Murphy said Tuesday night.
The top video on Murphy's website Friday was a YouTube video critical of Rubio.
On Monday morning, Rubio, a day before the election, showed no signs of slowing down as he hit the I-4 corridor one last time.
He met with supporters in Brandon. By mid-afternoon, he visited a field office in Orlando.
“The key now is to make sure that those who are willing and ready to support us turn out and vote," said Rubio.
Murphy, 33, says growing Florida's middle class is his top priority, along with investing in infrastructure. He supports marriage for same-sex couples, anti-discrimination efforts and has fought to restore honor to military servicemembers discharged because they are LGBT.
Rubio, 45, says on his website that he has "proposed conservative reforms to our nation’s anti-poverty laws, tax code, regulatory policies, higher education system, vital senior safety net programs and national defense."
Rubio and outside groups supporting him spent $18.8 million in television ads in October, compared with $8.7 million by Murphy and outside groups supporting him, according to Ashley Walker, who runs a Murphy super PAC. Rubio and his allies have $4.7 million in ads reserved for the final week of the race, compared with $3.3 million in ads reserved by Murphy and the PAC supporting him.
Demetrius Smith, a political science professor at three area colleges, says results could tip the balance of power.
"If Patrick Murphy was to win, the Democrats have a chance of regaining the Senate," he said, noting that Murphy has a long way to go before the general election. "Patrick Murphy has to do everything he can. Marco Rubio has everything going for him because of name recognition."
Information from the Associated Press was used in this story.