Rick Scott, Florida Sheriffs push back on Debbie Mucarsel-Powell’s attack on his hurricane record

U.S. Sen. Rick Scott has a new ad out responding to attacks on his hurricane record by Democratic opponent Debbie Mucarsel-Powell. The Naples Republican spotlights support from Florida Sheriffs, specifically during natural disasters.

“While Debbie continues to lie about Rick Scott’s record, the evidence is clear about how wrong she is,” reads a release from Scott’s re-election campaign. “It’s sad to see a silly socialist get so desperate that she’s willing to lie to politicize a natural disaster that killed Floridians.”

After Helene made landfall in Florida last week as a Category 4 hurricane, Mucarsel-Powell posted an attack ad against the incumbent. In it, the Democrat says in a voiceover: “Another hurricane, more devastation, and Rick Scott is only making it worse.”

The response ad from Scott starts with that clip, then shifts focus to the Democrat’s record. A male narrator calls Mucarsel-Powell a “one-term failure” referring to a single term in the U.S. House she served before losing re-election in 2020 to Republican Carlos Giménez. “Why? She votes like a socialist and makes things up.”

The ad noted Scott earned the endorsement of 60 Florida Sheriffs, several of whom speak in the ad about his response. Those include Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister, Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook, Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno and Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay.

The inclusion of Marceno comes as the Sheriff faces high scrutiny over accusations a paid contractor for his agency provided him kickbacks.

But the advertisement focuses primarily on storm response.

“The man didn’t sleep,” Marceno says of Scott.

“He’s always the first one here,” Chronister adds.

“To date, the former Congresswoman hasn’t been endorsed by anyone from Florida’s law enforcement community,” a campaign email states.

Scott notably left Washington last week to attend briefings with local government officials in the Big Bend before Helene made landfall. He has toured storm-impacted areas over the week since the storm devastated large swaths of the state.

A fact-check on Mucarsel-Powell’s ad sent by Scott’s campaign notes the Democrat did not travel to the Gulf Coast prior to the storm, and instead attended a New York fundraiser.

That email also takes issue with assertions from Mucarsel-Powell’s ad that he took $3 million in insurance industry donations, and is therefore in the pocket of carriers.

“Rick Scott does not take money away from anyone,” the email states. “As a successful two-term Governor and U.S. Senator, people from nearly every single industry, county and city across Florida have donated to his campaigns.”

Beyond that, the Republican campaign notes the Democrat also reported checks from Aflac, Cigna, Northwestern Mutual and other insurance interests.

Mucarsel-Powell’s ad suggested that Scott’s actions as Governor led to a property insurance crisis in the state. Scott’s campaign responded that problems would be far worse but for his leadership.

“During his eight years as Governor of Florida, Senator Scott fought relentlessly to depopulate Citizens, returning it to a state of solvency, and attract new insurers to Florida that kept premiums affordable for Florida families,” the campaign email states.

“When Senator Scott ended his term as Florida’s Governor in January 2019, Florida’s property insurance market was more stable than it had been in more than a decade.”

While Mucarsel-Powell’s ad accuses Scott of voting against disaster funding, Scott’s campaign stressed he has voted against “terrible omnibus bill” but pushed repeatedly, including in the last week, for standalone legislation fully funding the Federal Emergency Management Association.

The Republican campaign asserts that the only part of Mucarsel-Powell’s ad that rings true is the phrase “I’m Debbie Mucarsel-Powell.”