U.S. Senator Rick Scott secured endorsements from 80 state legislators, including Florida’s Senate President and House Speaker, reinforcing his re-election bid with strong state-level support.
United States Senator Rick Scott on Tuesday received endorsements from 80 state legislators for his re-election bid.
The endorsements, announced during a press event in Tallahassee, include prominent state leaders, including Florida Senate President Kathleen Passidomo and House Speaker Paul Renner, who both lauded Scott’s “commitment to policies fostering a conducive environment for living, working, and raising families in the state.”
“Senator Rick Scott has been a tremendous leader in Tallahassee and in Washington. He successfully led our state out of the great recession and worked hard to keep Florida the best place to live, work, raise a family, start or grow a business, and retire with dignity,” said Passidomo, while Renner added that Scott has “been up in Washington fighting to make Washington work for Florida. When he’s re-elected, I know he will continue his tireless work on behalf of Floridians.”
During the announcement, Scott emphasized his collaborative work with state legislators, focusing on Florida’s economic development, public safety, and educational initiatives. He stressed the importance of aligning federal policies with the needs of Florida communities.
“As Florida’s U.S. Senator, I am working with our state legislative leaders to make sure Washington works for each of their communities,” said Scott. “Whether it is working with these leaders to help Floridians recover after storms or connect their constituents with resources at the VA or passport services, I will continue to work with all of our state and local leaders to make sure Washington is serving Florida’s families.”
Tuesday’s legislative endorsements add to Scott’s existing support from various business and trade groups across the state, including the Florida Retail Federation and Associated Industries of Florida, who both pledged support in October. The endorsement list from lawmakers covers representatives from multiple regions across Florida, including Tampa Bay, Miami, Orlando, and Jacksonville.
Scott, a two-term Florida governor, narrowly defeated Democrat incumbent Bill Nelson in the 2018 Senate election, receiving approximately 10,000 more votes than the former astronaut, marking the first time since the Reconstruction era that Republicans held both Senate seats in Florida.
In August, former Democratic Representative Debbie Mucarsel-Powell declared her intention to challenge Scott for his Senate seat. Before her formal announcement, top Democratic figures, including U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and other Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee officials, had already expressed support, urging her to enter the race, as reported by Politico in July.
House Members Who Endorsed Sen. Scott:
Reps. Paul Renner, Melony Bell, Jennifer Canady, Jeff Holcomb, Randy Maggard, Kevin Steele, Brad Yeager, Adam Anderson, Linda Chaney, Karen Pittman, Lawrence McClure, Danny Alvarez, Mike Beltran, Will Robinson Jr., Tommy Gregory, Fiona McFarland, James Buchanan, Tom Fabricio, David Borrero, Alex Rizzo, Vicki Lopez, Demi Busatta Cabrera, Alina Garcia, Daniel Perez, Juan Porras, Jim Mooney Jr., Toby Overdorf, John Snyder, Mike Caruso, Chip LaMarca, Tom Leek, Tyler Sirois, Thad Altman, Randy Fine, Robbie Brackett, Rachel Plankon, Carolina Amesty, Paula Stark, Kaylee Tuck, Chuck Brannan III, Sam Garrison, Wyman Duggan, Dean Black, Jessica Baker, and Bobby Payne.
Senate Members Who Endorsed Sen. Scott:
Sens. Kathleen Passidomo, Paul Renner, Ben Albritton, Daniel Perez, Joe Gruters, Danny Burgess, Jay Collins, Nick DiCeglie, Jim Boyd, Ed Hooper, Ileana Garcia, Alexis Calatayud, Ana Maria Rodriguez, Gayle Harrell, Tom Wright, Jason Brodeur, Dennis Baxley, Colleen Burton, Debbie Mayfield, Erin Grall, Travis Hutson, Clay Yarborough, Jennifer Bradley, Jonathan Martin, Keith Perry, Doug Broxson, and Jay Trumbull.