There were no TVs in the ballroom to highlight the unhappy results.
No balloons waiting to fall from the rafters, and no staffers handing out victory banners or signs. Just a man at a podium, struggling to keep a grip on his runaway emotions.
This is what it looks like when hope dies.
For it wasn't just the GOP that lost a reliable seat in Congress on Tuesday night. And it wasn't just David Jolly conceding his first election defeat to Charlie Crist.
This loss belonged to everyone who believes in compromise.
To everyone who believes that people matter more than partisanship, and that finding common ground is more noble than cultivating needless divisions.
"We never played it safe,'' Jolly said after his concession speech. "I wasn't interested in playing it safe just to protect my political future.''
Just to be clear, bucking the system did not cost Jolly his seat in Congress. If anything, his willingness to cross party leaders might have kept him competitive in a district that had been redrawn in a way that virtually guaranteed defeat for any Republican.
Yet, no matter the cause, the result is the same.
Congress has lost a rare member willing to step across the aisle. An incumbent who wanted to rein in Washington's obsession with fundraising. A conservative willing to talk about gun reforms and climate change. A Republican who saw Democrats as colleagues and not enemies.
We agree on very little, Jolly and I. And chances are Crist will pursue policies that are more my speed. But this isn't an argument for conservative or progressive views.
This is a lament for civility.
When Democrats staged a sit-in last summer over the House leadership's refusal to call a vote on a gun control measure, Jolly was a rare Republican who explored the possibility of compromise.
When Donald Trump emerged from the primary as the GOP's surprise presidential candidate, Jolly was one of the first members of Congress to say he could not support his party's choice.
And whether you agreed or disagreed with him, you never doubted that Jolly, 44, was following his heart.
"We have never compromised for political gain,'' Jolly said, while turning toward his wife. "Laura and I call it the sleep-well-at-night test. We're going to bed tonight just as satisfied as last night.''
As it turns out, Jolly's refusal to back Trump did not likely have an impact on Tuesday's results. While Trump narrowly defeated Hillary Clinton in Pinellas County, he trailed her by a little more than three points in District 13 precincts. Jolly also lost to Crist by a little more than three points.
It's ironic, or maybe just sad, that Democrats pushed for redistricting and the one bay area Republican who got squeezed out was the one most willing to bargain.
The question now is where does Jolly go from here.
He could mount another challenge against Crist in 2018, or he could consider moving into a nearby district. Neither option seemed terribly appealing to him Tuesday night, particularly without campaign finance reform.
"I don't know if there will be a playing field in the future for us to get back in the game,'' he said. "I believed in the change we tried to bring, and if there's an opportunity in the future and the timing is right, we'll do it again. But we're not waking up in the morning looking for an office to run for.''