This week, U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., unveiled his National Finance Committee, which features many prominent Republicans as he runs for a second term in 2024.
The group includes former Gov. Jeb Bush, former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., former Govs. Bobby Jindal, R-La., and Rick Perry, R-Texas, and U.S. Sens. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Marco Rubio, R-Fla. Prominent Republican supporters like former Amb. Mel Sembler, former U.S. Senate candidate Carlos Beruff, August Busch III and educators Art and Belinda Keiser are also members. So are former state officials, including former state Senate President Mike Haridopolos and former state House Speaker Will Weatherford.
Scott painted himself as a top target for Democrats.
“I’m Chuck Schumer and national Democrats’ top enemy this cycle and you can bet that they are going to spend millions upon millions to air false attacks and lies against me. I’ve been traveling the state meeting with Floridians on my 67 Counties Sunshine Tour, and I’ve been working hard to raise money so we have the resources to counter Democrats’ phony attacks. I look forward to continuing to fight for Florida families in the US Senate and appreciate everyone on my finance team who will help ensure we keep the Democrats failed socialist policies out of Florida,” said Scott.
In the meantime, on the Democratic side, with efforts to recruit former NBA stars like Grant Hill and Dwyane Wade to challenge Scott stalled, Phil Ehr, a former Navy officer who twice ran against U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., has grown increasing active, including hitting Scott his week and trying to tie him to former President Donald Trump.
“Donald Trump has just been indicted for his actions on January 6, 2021,” Ehr noted. “Days after the insurrection, Rick Scott gave Trump the Champion of Freedom award. Scott’s decision and Trump’s actions were abhorrent. Trump will be held accountable. I will defeat Scott at the polls.”
While Ehr is trying to tie Scott to Trump, businessman Keith Gross, who is challenging Scott in the Republican primary, insisted the senator isn’t doing enough to help the former president. The Gross campaign released a memo to the media this week, showcasing a poll from the Ehr campaign that shows Scott is trailing that Democrat in the general election and painting the senator as the “Achilles heel of the Republican party.”
In the 2022 midterms and in Jacksonville where he personally knocked on doors, Senator Scott has proven he is incapable of energizing the base and turning out the vote. Now, he is back to his political tricks; misleading the public and turning his back on friends, including President Donald Trump,” insisted the Gross campaign.
Currently running against Ehr in the Democratic primary are former U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Fla., former state Rep. Brian Rush and a field of minor candidates. Among the possible Democratic candidates are state House Minority Leader Fentrice Drisekll, Brevard County School Board Member Jennifer Jenkins, former U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, D-Fla., and former U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla.
