The senior senator from Florida is underwater and Senate Democrats are trying to bail him out.
Senate Majority PAC just cut a 30-second spot in support of Bill Nelson, touting the Florida Democrat’s record as a veteran, an astronaut, and a bipartisan senator who “puts Florida first.” It’s full of generic mumbo-jumbo political boilerplate. The real story is the ad itself.
The road to a Senate majority goes through Florida for both parties. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-K.Y., told the Washington Post as much last week when he identified the Sunshine State as a key front in the battle for control of the Senate. And that’s a problem for Nelson.
Nelson is popular in Florida. According to a Morning Consult poll, 51 percent of his constituents approve and only 26 percent disapprove of the job he is doing. His challenger, Gov. Rick Scott is even more popular. More polling from Morning Consult shows that 58 percent of the state approves and 31 percent disapproves of his job performance.
Republicans looked at those numbers, and at Scott’s $150 million net worth, and pounced. In addition to $8 million that Scott has spent himself, another $4 million has been directed against Nelson already, compared to just $40,000 directed against Scott. That disparity won’t last long though.
The Senate Majority PAC ad could represent the first salvo in an onslaught as both sides try to airdrop outside support for their candidate.
