Rick Scott begins Senate leadership campaign with Donald Trump’s blessing, Democratic objections

Image via AP.

Florida’s junior Senator is making another bid for the top job in the Republican Caucus.

U.S. Sen. Rick Scott announced his pursuit of the GOP Leadership position Wednesday, offering yet another option for the post-Mitch McConnell era, citing a need for “dramatic change” in an upper chamber that often doesn’t align with House Republicans’ priorities.

While Scott got just 10 votes in 2022, he told Fox News host Laura Ingraham why he was running for a second time and noted that the presumptive Republican Presidential nominee is glad he’s running.

“We need to see change. I talked to (Donald) Trump about this today. He said he’s excited I’m getting into the race,” Scott said.

“I am a change agent. I was a change agent in business. I did turnarounds. I changed Florida and we’re going to change the Senate and we’re going to be the Senate that helps Donald Trump get his conservative agenda.”

Scott’s desire to lead the caucus has led to Democratic criticism, as one might expect, with suggestions that his bid only increases the stakes of November’s Senate race.

“Self-serving Rick Scott is a danger to Florida families, and as Senate leader, he would be a disaster for Americans,” said Democratic former U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, who is running against Scott this cycle. “We all know if Rick Scott gets elected to Senate leadership, he won’t hesitate to push his toxic and out-of-touch agenda to sunset Social Security and Medicare, raise taxes on middle-class families, and force a national abortion ban onto the American people. There’s no line Rick Scott won’t cross to further his own extreme agenda. The stakes of this race just got so much higher, but voters are fired up and ready to retire Rick Scott — for working Floridians and for Americans across the country.”

“A Republican Senate Caucus led by Rick Scott would be a disaster for women and working families in Florida and a disaster for the country,” said Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried. “Scott’s self-serving agenda has failed Florida, and now he’s threatening to take his plans nationwide: he would enact a national abortion ban, slash Social Security and Medicare, and raise taxes on working families while cutting taxes for corporations and the wealthy like himself.  Florida is ground-zero in the fight for control of the Senate and now the stakes are even higher. Rick Scott’s self-serving agenda is wrong for Florida and wrong for America.”

“Rick Scott’s run for GOP Senate Leader shines a spotlight on what Republicans would do if they gain control of the Senate: sunsetting Medicare and Social Security, raising taxes on working families, and passing a national abortion ban. This deeply unpopular agenda reinforces why voters will fire Scott and protect Democrats’ Senate majority in November,” said the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.