It's still unclear whether Florida's Republican Gov. Rick Scott will challenge Democrat Sen. Bill Nelson in the state's Senate race this year, but the spot on the ballot is likely his if he wants it, according to a new report.
The Hill examined the Florida Senate race that will pit Nelson, who has served in the Senate since 2001, against an unknown Republican. No one on the right has filed for candidacy ahead of the May 4 deadline, mostly due to the fact that potential Republican candidates are waiting to see if Scott enters the fray.
President Donald Trump encouraged Scott to run early last year and again in the fall.
"He's got the ability to lay the hammer down very quickly and be in the fight very quickly," Rick Wilson, a Florida Republican strategist, told The Hill. "At this point, if you're him, you want to wait as long as you can [because] Donald Trump is really unpopular in Florida with people outside the Republican base.
"If Rick Scott doesn't get in the race for whatever reason ... you will get a sudden burst of people jumping into that, but I don't think anyone's made any serious plans in that regard."
It was reported last summer that Scott is worth nearly $150 million. That wealth, coupled with his political influence in the Sunshine State, would help him if he decides to challenge Nelson.
Nelson, however, has worked in public office since 1972. In 1986, he traveled to space on Space Shuttle Columbia, which landed Jan. 18 after a six-day flight. Ten days later, the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster occurred.
The results of a Saint Leo University Polling Institute survey taken last November showed Scott led Nelson by more than 10 points — 41.8 percent to 31.6 percent — in a hypothetic 2018 matchup.
Trump dined with Scott on Dec. 31 while the president was spending time at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
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