Even as a new poll from a firm with connections to prominent Democrats shows Republican Gov. Rick Scott in a dead heat with former Gov. Charlie Crist, who left the GOP to run for the U.S. Senate partyless in 2010 and joined the Democrats last year, Republicans show signs they want to look ahead to the future, whether Scott wins a second term in 2014 or not.
Rick Scott had a phenomenal rise to the top of Florida politics, the likes of which had not been seen in decades. Unlike then-Attorney General Bill McCollum, his rival for the Republican nomination in 2010, Scott did not spend years cultivating local and county GOP poobahs as he made the rounds of rubber chicken dinners. After emerging on the national scene to oppose President Barack Obamas federal health-care law, Scott jumped into the gubernatorial primary and upset McCollum in a close and bitter contest -- leaving GOP leaders in Tallahassee, who by and large backed the attorney general, forced to play ball with the new Republican leader in the Sunshine State.
While he beat McCollum and Democratic nominee Alex Sink by running to the right in 2010, Scott has pivoted to the center in recent weeks with a $74 billion budget that includes pay raises for teachers and state workers. Despite rising to prominence in opposing Obamas health-care law, Scott is now making peace with it, backing the federal expansion of Medicaid included in the law.
Scotts acceptance of the Medicaid expansion has garnered national attention and conservatives across Florida have started expressing their displeasure with the governor. Two of the Republicans' young guns -- Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam and Florida House Speaker Will Weatherford -- have stated their opposition to the Medicaid expansion.
Putnam, who is 38, and Weatherford, who is 33, can play for the future. Elected to Congress in 2000 when he was only 26, Putnam has already served five terms in the U.S. House and won statewide election in 2010. His name is already generating buzz as a gubernatorial candidate for 2018.
With time on his side, Putnam has the luxury of stressing his conservatism. Last week, when Scott announced that he was in favor of the Medicaid expansion, Putnam took to Twitter to express his disapproval.
Its extremely disappointing to learn that Florida may take on billions in additional costs to taxpayers by expanding Medicaid coverage, Putnam posted. Later he added, The expansion of Medicaid in Florida does not create jobs or strengthen our infrastructure. And it will cost Florida $5 billion over the next 10 years.
Putnams opposition to Medicaid expansion won him a good deal of press and even led to the creation of a website this week to back drafting him to run against Scott in 2014. Putnams team quickly responded that their man was focused on running for a second term.
Weatherford is another rising star for Florida Republicans who has been mentioned as a possible gubernatorial candidate. With Marco Rubio having risen from Florida House speaker to a national conservative star, more than a few eyes across the nation are already on Weatherford. National conservatives are already looking at Weatherford and the Florida House as a roadblock to Medicaid expansion in Florida. Weatherford was also chosen as one of nine young conservative leaders from across the nation to address the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in March.
So far Weatherford has been coy on his plans, but he is showing some strong skepticism of the Medicaid expansion. With Weatherfords Republican caucus controlling 76 of the 120 seats in the Florida House, he could stand in the way of Scotts plans.
Nor are Putnam and Weatherford alone in their opposition to Medicaid expansion. On Tuesday, Attorney General Pam Bondi expressed her displeasure to it. Bondis name has not received as much buzz as Putnams or Weatherfords for future bids for office.
Still, Scott seems secure for renomination if not re-election in 2014. A poll from Democrat firm Hamilton Campaigns that Politico released on Tuesday night -- the same poll that shows Scott and Crist tied -- finds the governor in solid shape if he faces a primary. Pitting Scott against Bondi, the poll shows Scott taking 54 percent while Bondi gets only 21 percent.
Add in Scotts war chest and his ability to finance his own campaign like he did in 2010 and the governor is a heavy favorite to win the Republican nomination. While the likes of Putnam and Weatherford can score points with the conservative Republican base by slamming the Medicaid expansion, they are doing so as they look past 2014 toward the future.
Tallahassee political writer Jeff Henderson wrote this story exclusively for Sunshine State News.
