Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., officially announced his candidacy for Republican leader in the next Senate on Wednesday, setting the stage for a crowded race.
“I have decided to run for Senate Republican Leader because I believe now is the time we need dramatic change,” he wrote in a letter to his fellow Senate Republicans.
The Florida Republican joins Senate Minority Leader John Thune, R-Tex., and Sen. John Cornyn, R-TX, in the race, both of whom have already announced their own candidacy for the outgoing Republican Senate leader’s job. Senate, Mitch McConnell.
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Rick Scott announced his long-awaited bid to replace Mitch McConnell as leader in November. (Getty Images)
Scott emphasized the need for transparency among conference members in his appeal, stating: “Too many secret agreements have been made.” News of his campaign for leader was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
He criticized the legislation’s failure to advance through the committee process and the standardization of trillion-dollar spending bills voted on without consideration of amendments. “We are routinely surprised by legislation and asked to vote on it without having had any input or even time to review it,” Scott continued.
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The Florida senator also lamented that the GOP upper house rarely works “in concert with Republicans in the House.”
According to Scott, the body “too often passes laws that have the support of 100% of Democrats and only a quarter of our Republican conference.” He claimed this has served to unite Democrats while dividing Republican senators.
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McConnell announced in February that he would resign. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Notably, McConnell has been Republican leader since 2007 and only announced his plan to resign in February.
In 2022, Scott challenged the reigning leader during his re-election bid for the position. He cited frustration with the “status quo” in his reasoning and urged his colleagues to vote for change.
Cornyn, Thune and Scott are announced leadership candidates. (Getty Images)
He was able to get 10 votes to McConnell’s 37 at the time. “We had a double-digit vote against the current leader, and that has never happened since I’ve been here,” said Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. commented.
Following McConnell’s surprise announcement, Scott said in a statement: “I have been very clear and have long believed that we need new leadership in the Senate that represents our voters and the issues we were sent here to fight for. As “Everyone knows, I will challenge Leader McConnell in 2022. This is an opportunity to refocus our efforts on solving the important challenges facing our country and truly reflect the aspirations of voters.”
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U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., speaks during a news conference Dec. 14, 2022, at the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib, File)
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However, at that time he did not reveal his intentions.
The November showdown for Republican leadership presents the winner with an opportunity to shape the GOP’s priorities in the Senate, especially if they win the majority in the 2024 elections.
