While he does not have a major Democratic opponent yet, U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., continues to reel in endorsements for his reelection bid, announcing this week that 59 of the 67 sheriffs across Florida are backing his campaign.
Scott announced the endorsement at the Florida Sherriff’s Association Conference.
“This bipartisan group of sheriffs represents nearly 90 percent of the sheriffs from every corner of the state. Senator Scott has been proud to work alongside these sheriffs, many since he served as governor of Florida, to respond to crises affecting the state like hurricanes, storm recovery, school safety and the fentanyl crisis,” Scott’s team announced. “During the event, Senator Scott also discussed what he has been doing in the Senate to help keep Florida families safe and what he will continue to fight for when he is re-elected to the U.S. Senate.”
“I am working every day to make sure Florida remains a state where everyone has the opportunity to live the American Dream and live in safe communities,” said Scott. “I’ve always believed that the most important things for every family are good jobs, a good education, and safe communities. As Florida’s U.S. Senator, I remain committed to protecting that promise for every family and I thank this esteemed group of sheriffs for their endorsements today.
“Across the nation, we continue to see the harmful impact of what the Democrats’ soft-on-crime policies of coddling criminal behavior does to communities in places like New York and California. While Democrats villainize our brave law enforcement officers, I will always stand alongside them and provide them with the resources they need to get the job done. Supporting Florida’s great law enforcement officers is the most important thing we can do to keep Florida safe and I will fight any attempt by the radical Democrats at all levels of government who try to diminish and attack our law enforcement officers,” Scott added.
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) has thrown a few jabs at Scott over abortion in recent weeks but he does not rank as one of its top targets during this early stage of the 2024 cycle.
“Rick Scott thinks politicians, not women, should be in charge of women’s personal medical decisions and supports harsh bans on abortion without exceptions. In 2024, Florida voters will hold Rick Scott accountable for his agenda that would deny women the freedom to make medical decisions for themselves and access to the health care they need during the most personal, difficult circumstances,” said Maeve Coyle, a spokeswoman for the DSCC, last month.
While there is buzz that 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., could challenge Scott, so far, none of those candidates have entered the race.
In the meantime, a host of frequent candidates and dark horses are running in the Democratic primary. These include former U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Fla., and former state Rep. Brian Rush. Businessman Keith Gross is challenging Scott in the GOP primary.
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