A week after Florida Sen. Rick Scott successfully defended his seat against Democratic challenger Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, the 71-year-old former governor has now shifted his ambition to another high-profile position: Senate Majority Leader. And for that, he is seeking to get president-elect Donald Trump's endorsement.
After earning a second term in the U.S. Senate by winning over 55% of the votes, Scott is now eyeing for the seat currently held by Chuck Schumer (D-NY) since 2021, when Vice President Kamala Harris' tie-breaking vote established a Democratic majority in the upper chamber of Congress.
Scott first became a U.S. senator in 2018, taking office after two stints as Florida Governor. After winning a second term, Scott addressed supporters in Bonita Spring, Florida and added that his work was not done, saying that "next week, we have another election, Senate Republican leader," implying his intentions of holding a very important seat within the chamber.
Scott is not the only one looking to hold the position. Two other Republican senators, John Cornyn of Texas and John Thune of South Dakota, will compete against Scott, both of them with previous experience leading Republicans in the Upper House.
As reported by the Miami Herald, Scott is hoping that his status as a close Trump ally is enough to get his endorsement before Republicans hold a secret-ballot election to select their next leader. On Nov. 10, Scott said he had been in touch with Trump about the Senate leadership race, adding that he had previously won Trump's support in 2022 when he lost a longshot challenge to Mitch McConnell.
"He supported me when I ran against McConnell two years ago. I'm hoping he'll support me this time," Scott said on Fox Business. "But he's doing the right thing right now. He won his race. So we're texting back and forth. I'm going to do everything I can to make sure his agenda gets accomplished."
Although he has not made an endorsement yet, Trump wrote on his Truth Social account that any Republicans who wants the "coveted leadership position in the U.S. Senate" must agree to fast-track appointments to his administration and the courts by allowing him to name people to senior administration positions without the need for a Senate confirmation.
In response to Trump's demands, Scott used his X social media account to agree with Trump saying he will "do whatever it takes" to get Trump's nominations through as quickly as possible.
Scott already counts with the support of the president-elect's most prominent allies such as Elon Musk and Tucker Carlson, as well as support from colleagues like Florida's other senator Marco Rubio.
On Nov. 11, Scott was asked about his prospects of securing the Senate majority seat, to which he replied that he was confident of having Trump's support even if the future president does not publicly make an endorsement ahead of the race. "
"I believe I'm going to win because I represent exactly what the Trump team wants and what Trump wants and what the American public wants," Scott said. The vote is set to take place on Wednesday and, so far, Trump has not voiced his endorsement of a candidate.
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