While others have their eyes on taking his job as governor in 2018, Gov. Rick Scott is looking ahead to the U.S. Senate as the next step to climb on his political ladder.
On Tuesday, Scott hinted at a possible run for the Senate after he leaves office in two years.
The two-term Florida governor isn’t ruling out the possibility.
"It's an option I have,” he said in Orlando at the Republican Governors Association meeting.
Scott didn’t necessarily confirm he would run for the seat, instead pledging his focus was on his current spot as the leader of the Sunshine State.
“Right now my whole focus is how do I do the best job I can as governor,” he continued.
If Scott does decide to run for U.S. Senate, he would face off against incumbent Sen. Bill Nelson, who has held the seat since 2001.
In each election, Nelson has handily defeated his opponents, but Scott could throw a wrench in his ambitions since he has the money to spend in order to make an impact on the process.
Scott, who had a net worth of $119 million at the end of last year, spent $75 million of his own money in 2010 to beat his Democratic opponent, Alex Sink.
He’s also led skilled campaigns to help other candidates emerge victorious in races many believed they wouldn’t win.
Take, for example, president-elect Donald Trump’s campaign this year. Scott headed a super PAC supporting Trump which threw $20 million into TV ads in states like North Carolina, Ohio and Pennsylvania during the 2016 election cycle. All three states went red for Trump, despite polls and expert predictions saying Trump would have a miserable time winning many states around the country.
This isn’t the first time Scott has hinted higher political ambitions. Stories of a Senate run have been swirling for well over a year now, before Trump even became a real factor in U.S. politics. Before, however, Scott had just been having conversations with prominent GOP fundraisers and had not publicly announced the possibility.
Scott could benefit from an off-year run since turnout is not as high during a midterm election as it is during a presidential election.
The governor was a relative political newcomer when he stepped onto the scene in 2010 but has since made a name for himself nationally, where he has focused many of his issues.
Scott has already started filling his war chest for the run. His political committee, Let’s Get to Work, has constantly been in motion since its inception, raising and spending money all the while.
Let’s Get to Work currently has $1.5 million cash on hand. As a state committee, transferring the funds to make a run at a federal position would be tough but not impossible.
The political climate is in Scott’s favor, too. Now that Trump and Republicans have seized control of the presidency, the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate, the odds are stacked in the governor’s favor should he decide to run for the job. His work and role in helping elect Trump won't hurt his chances, either.
Reach reporter Allison Nielsen by email at allison@sunshinestatenews.com or follow her on Twitter: @AllisonNielsen.
