Florida Sen. Rick Scott has announced his bid to be the next Senate GOP leader, entering a three-way secret ballot race that will be decided post the November elections. Scott, a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump, has had a strained relationship with GOP leadership in the Senate, particularly with outgoing Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell, whom he aims to succeed after an unsuccessful attempt in 2022.
As a first-term senator, Scott faces tough competition from GOP Sens. John Thune and John Cornyn, both vying for the leadership position. The race lacks a clear front-runner, with factors such as fundraising abilities, leadership styles, and ties to Trump being considered by Senate colleagues.
Scott, known for his close alliance with Trump, endorsed the former president over Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for the 2020 presidential race. He was among the Republican senators who contested the certification of the 2020 election results and has consistently defended Trump amid legal challenges.
Prior to his Senate tenure, Scott served as the governor of Florida for two terms, leveraging his personal wealth to support his political campaigns. He is up for reelection in a state that has been leaning towards the Republican party, though Democrats are eyeing it as a potential battleground.
In 2022, Scott faced criticism within his party for a proposal that sought to sunset all federal programs within five years unless extended by Congress. The plan, disavowed by McConnell and seized upon by Democrats as an attack on programs like Social Security and Medicare, was later revised by Scott to exclude popular programs from the sunset provision.
Democrats aiming to flip Scott's Senate seat in 2024 continue to highlight the controversial proposal as a point of contention.
