Republicans believe Gov. Rick Scott entering the Florida Senate race will provide a major boost for a party seeking to avoid a Democratic wave in the midterm elections.

After months of holding back one of the worst-kept secret in politics, Scott announced his 2018 campaign against Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla. Nelson is running for a fourth term in what many are expecting to be a nasty and expensive race. Scott is a Republican favorite, a top ally of President Trump, and a fundraising howitzer who the GOP believes could help tilt the Senate map in their favor.