Jeb Bush, George W. Bush to help boost Rick Scott’s U.S. Senate bid

(Associated Press)

Republican Gov. Rick Scott has already had President Donald Trump stump for his U.S. Senate bid, and now former Gov. Jeb Bush said says more presidential support is on the way.

“As a resident and former Governor of Florida, I understand the complexity and leadership it takes to serve as the chief executive of our state and the commitment it takes to bring real change,” Bush said in a Thursday email. “I also understand the importance of the election this November and how the outcome will affect the direction of our state and country for generations.”

Bush went on to call Scott “the type of leader that we need to elect to serve in the United States Senate.” Sharing that view is Bush’s brother, former President George W. Bush.

Highlighting his brother’s pre-presidential gig as Texas Governor, Jeb said George also “understands that Rick Scott is the type of leader America needs now.”

To help Scott in his quest to unseat incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson, the two Bushes will be present at a pair of Sept. 14 fundraisers for Scott. During the day, the brothers will attend a luncheon fundraiser in Tampa before heading down south for an evening reception in Palm Beach. Times and locations weren’t printed on the invitation — it’ll take an RSVP to the Scott campaign to get those details.

As far as the expected donation goes: $1,000 for a reservation at the luncheon, with suggested contributions ranging up to $25K for those looking to chair the event — those that go that route will get a “VIP photo,” two luncheon tix and preferred seating.

The stakes go up in Palm Beach, with the bottom tier donation level set at $2,700. To be a chair at that event, donors will have to give or bundle $50K for Scott’s campaign.

The race between Scott and Nelson is one of the most hotly contested Senate races in the country.

Nelson, currently in his third term, is one of a handful of incumbent Senators up for re-election this year in states that voted for Trump in 2016, making it a prime flip target for national Republicans and a key seat to defend for national Democrats.

So far, Scott has trounced Nelson in fundraising and put that money to work with a ton of media buys. Senate Majority PAC put pro-Nelson ads on TV in May, and his official campaign has since started to run its own ads.

Most recent polls of the race have shown Scott with an edge, though the race is close. Among the polls tracked by RealClearPolitics.com, the margin ranges from plus-5 Scott to plus-4 Nelson. Overall, an average of those polls shows Scott leading by 1.5 percentage points.

The fundraiser invitations are below. Those looking to attend can find the RSVP form on Scott’s campaign website.