Current:Home > MyFlorida Sen. Rick Scott seeks reelection with an eye toward top GOP leadership post -NextFrontier Finance
Florida Sen. Rick Scott seeks reelection with an eye toward top GOP leadership post
View
Date:2025-04-13 12:45:41
Follow live: Updates from AP’s coverage of the presidential election.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Republican U.S. Sen. Rick Scott is hoping being reelected to a second term will put him in a position to earn a Senate leadership role, while former Democratic U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell seeks an upset victory that could help her party maintain its razor-thin control of the chamber.
Scott hopes to succeed U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who is stepping down as the GOP leader. A win for him would also reaffirm the strength of the Republican Party in the state despite ballot measures on abortion rights and recreational marijuana l egalization that Democrats hope will drive up turnout.
Mucarsel-Powell is running two years after Democrats lost all five statewide seats on the ballot in Republican landslides. She was elected to represent a Miami district in 2018 and was the first Ecuadorian American and South American-born congressional member. She lost her reelection to U.S. Rep. Carlos Gimenez in 2020.
Scott has a large fundraising advantage, including millions of his personal wealth he’s pumped into the campaign, in a state that has shifted more firmly Republican. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee insists Scott is vulnerable, but national Democrats were slow to invest in Florida, one of the most expensive states to buy campaign ads.
Scott needed a recount to win his first Senate election, but that was when Democrats had an advantage in voter registration. This year, Republicans outnumber Democrats by about a million voters, and Scott’s victory came two years after Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio won in landslides.
Murcarsel-Powell is hoping Vice President Kamala Harris lifts her and other Democrats on the ballot.
This year, Scott also is facing dents in his political resume, including his failure to earn a GOP majority two years ago after leading the National Republican Senatorial Committee and his losing challenge to upend McConnell from Senate leadership in a 37-10 vote. He also was nationally criticized by both Democrats and Republicans for a proposal he had to sunset federal programs every five years, which initially had no exceptions for popular entitlement programs such as Medicare and Social Security.
Scott has focused his message on the economy and rising household prices during President Joe Biden’s administration. He also has spent months supporting former President Donald Trump on the campaign trail, despite it taking him about a year after Trump announced his campaign to endorse him.
veryGood! (56)
Related
- Can Bill Belichick turn North Carolina into a winner? At 72, he's chasing one last high
- Florida woman who shot Black neighbor through door won't face murder charge
- Rent is falling across the U.S. for the first time since 2020
- Robert De Niro Reacts to Pal Al Pacino and Girlfriend Noor Alfallah's Baby News
- Have Dry, Sensitive Skin? You Need To Add These Gentle Skincare Products to Your Routine
- Top Chef Star Gail Simmons Shares a Go-to Dessert That Even the Pickiest Eaters Will Love
- Global Warming Shortens Spring Feeding Season for Mule Deer in Wyoming
- Justin Timberlake Is Thirsting Over Jessica Biel’s Iconic Summer Catch Scene Too
- The 401(k) millionaires club keeps growing. We'll tell you how to join.
- Remains of missing actor Julian Sands found in Southern California mountains
Ranking
- Scoot flight from Singapore to Wuhan turns back after 'technical issue' detected
- International Day of Climate Action Spreads Across 179 Countries
- Dr. Anthony Fauci to join the faculty at Georgetown University, calling the choice a no-brainer
- Was a Federal Scientist’s Dismissal an 11th-hour Bid to Give Climate Denial Long-Term Legitimacy?
- Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
- Vanderpump Rules Tease: Tom Sandoval Must Pick a Side in Raquel Leviss & Scheana Shay's Feud
- Robert De Niro Reacts to Pal Al Pacino and Girlfriend Noor Alfallah's Baby News
- Court dismisses Ivanka Trump from New York attorney general's fraud lawsuit
Recommendation
Sarah J. Maas books explained: How to read 'ACOTAR,' 'Throne of Glass' in order.
In Maine, Many Voters Defied the Polls and Split Their Tickets
Trump Demoted FERC Chairman Chatterjee After He Expressed Support for Carbon Pricing
Trump Demoted FERC Chairman Chatterjee After He Expressed Support for Carbon Pricing
Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
Trump’s ‘Energy Dominance’ Push Ignores Some Important Realities
This Tarte Mascara Is Like a Push-Up Bra for Your Lashes: Don't Miss a 2 for the Price of 1 Deal
As Solar and Wind Prices Fall, Coal’s Future is Fading Fast, BNEF Says