Katherine Harris certifies Bush's 537-vote Florida margin, halting hand recounts

Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris certified George W. Bush as the winner of Florida's electoral votes on November 26, 2000, based on a margin of 537 votes over Al Gore. Harris simultaneously served as co-chair of Bush's Florida campaign. Her certification halted ongoing hand recounts in Democratic-leaning counties. The Florida Supreme Court reversed her ruling, ordering statewide recounts, before the U.S. Supreme Court stopped the recount in Bush v. Gore on December 12, 2000.