Florida Gov. Rick Scott, a Republican, will challenge Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., in the race for the U.S. Senate, Scott said Monday.
“8 years ago today, I did something that everyone told me not to do — I announced that I was running for Governor. With the hard work of Floridians, we have come a long way, but our work is not done. That’s why I have decided to run for the United States Senate. Let’s Get to Work!” Scott tweeted Monday.
8 years ago today, I did something that everyone told me not to do – I announced that I was running for Governor. With the hard work of Floridians, we have come a long way, but our work is not done. That’s why I have decided to run for the United States Senate. Let’s Get to Work! pic.twitter.com/zirHas1mzR
— Rick Scott (@ScottforFlorida) April 9, 2018
Scott told several news outlets he is running for the Senate and called Washington, D.C., “horribly dysfunctional,” according to the Associated Press.
“You’re probably surprised, but I’m going to announce I’m running for senator,” Scott told Politico in an interview published Monday. “You’re shocked, right?”
Scott, a multimillionaire, has served as governor of Florida since 2011, and his candidacy for the Senate was highly anticipated.
Last month, he teased a “big announcement” to be made Monday, which many expected would be his formal jump into the race.
During his announcement, Scott called for federal term limits and criticized “career politicians.”
“We’re not going to see a change in Washington if we don’t have term limits on Congress,” he said.
Addressing a crowd in Orlando, Scott also called Florida the “melting pot of the world” and touted his accomplishments as governor.
“People are flocking to Florida because this is where you can live the dream of this country,” Scott said. “… Now we’ve got to take that same mission to D.C.”
Scott spurned the “naysayers” who he said will tell him “you can’t fix Washington,” and recalled hearing the same message when he was elected governor and when he began his career in business.
“We can change Washington. We must change Washington. We will change Washington,” he said. “Together, let’s get Washington to work.”
With Scott officially challenging Nelson, a three-term incumbent, the Florida Senate race is expected to be one of the most closely watched.
President Trump had urged the Florida governor to run against Nelson, who is one of 10 Democratic senators up for re-election in states Trump won in 2016.
“I just, again, I have to say that, what do I know? But I hope this man right here, Rick Scott, runs for the Senate,” Trump said in September.
