Mitch Perry
Florida Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson said Thursday that he will have surgery Monday at a Washington, D.C., hospital to remove prostate cancer.
In a news release issued from his Washington office, his aides said that while he has no symptoms, doctors found the cancer early in a routine medical exam. Extensive scans showed no signs of the cancer spreading outside the prostate.
If you thought such surgery would slow down the 72-year-old, think again. Nelson used the new release to say “the diagnosis does not affect his plan to run for re-election in 2018. “
That’s the first time that Nelson has said he would run for re-election in 2018. He would be 76 years old on Election Day.
“I’ve been blessed with good health, which has allowed me the great privilege of public service — and I look forward to continuing serving our country and Florida,” he said.
Although it’s a long way away, speculation has already begun that Rick Scott will run for the Republican nomination for Senate in ’18, when he is term-limited out of his tenure as governor of Florida.
