Staff Reports
U.S. Senator Rick Scott seeks to lead efforts to reinforce Republican ranks in the Senate in 2022.
POLITICO reported Friday that Scott planned to run to head up the National Republican Senatorial Committee in what is a big year for Republicans, with 21 seats up.
Scott, who contends he is “not focused” on a run for President in 2024, spent much of the fall supporting Republican candidates for Senate, with varying results but an unwavering commitment.
“I’m busting my butt to raise money to keep the Republican Senate,” he said late last month on the Fox News Channel.
“We know we need to keep the Senate so we’re going to fight to keep the Senate every day,” Scott told another interviewer.
The Senator made strategic forays to Texas, and to Arizona, where he campaigned for Senator Martha McSally.
Senator Scott ran a two-tracked message in the 2020 campaign, offering rhetorical support for President Trump while being careful to cultivate his national brand.
This led to Scott releasing two ads ahead of the election, one focused on the short term and another with more long-term messaging.
Scott late in October released two ads from his political committee. One was a GOTV ad for President Trump, and the second one was more of a personal manifesto, with the Senator saying he was “mad” at rioters and protesters.
Though the Senator offered broadside critiques of the Biden campaign, he also has managed to carve out policy differences from the President even while offering rhetorical support for Trump.
Most notably, Scott came to the defense of Dr. Anthony Fauci, the immunologist on the White House Coronavirus Task Force Trump said he may fire “after the election.”
“I have a very good working relationship with Dr. Fauci,” Scott told CNN. “I know he’s been working hard.”
