GOP Sen Rick Scott Weighing Presidential Bid

Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida is weighing a presidential bid for 2024, which would make him the state’s fourth GOP primary candidate, according to The New York Times.

The former Florida governor has been considering joining the growing Republican primary field for the past few weeks, sources familiar with the matter told the NYT. If Scott makes a bid for the White House, he’d face three other Floridians including former President Donald Trump, Gov. Ron DeSantis and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez.

Scott’s rumored presidential aspirations come after he announced earlier in the year that he’d be seeking a second term in the Senate, according to the NYT.

“It’s flattering that some have mentioned the possibility of Senator Scott running for President, but as he’s said many times, he’s running for re-election to the Senate,” Scott’s senior adviser, Chris Hartline, told the Daily Caller News Foundation in a statement.

Scott was narrowly elected to both of his gubernatorial terms in 2010 and 2014 by roughly 1 point, according to Ballotpedia. After DeSantis succeeded the former governor in 2018, Scott won a tough senatorial election where he beat his Democratic opponent 50.1% to 49.9%.

The Real Clear Politics (RCP) average for a 2024 national Republican primary, based on polls conducted between June 5 and June 20, indicate that Trump and DeSantis are leading the field with 52.2% and 21.4%, respectively.

Along with challenging the Floridians in 2024, Scott would face former Vice President Mike Pence, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, former Texas Rep. Will Hurd, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy and conservative radio personality Larry Elder.