The 2024 Republican presidential field will be without one possible GOP candidate, with Florida Sen. Rick Scott ruling out a run.
“I have no plans to run for president and I have a 100% plan to run for the U.S. Senate,” Scott said on the Hugh Hewitt Show, per Florida Politics. His decision comes after a failed run for GOP leader and after he led the National Republican Senatorial Committee in a disappointing election cycle for Republicans.
That means Republicans will not have to contend with an open seat battle. Scott is the only GOP senator up for re-election in 2024 in a state where the presidential margin was decided by five points or less. The race for Scott’s first term, when he defeated Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson by just 10,000 votes, was the closest Senate race of 2018.
In other 2024 news:
Zeldin out: Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin, fresh off a closer-than-expected defeat in the New York governor’s race, said Wednesday he wouldn’t run to lead the Republican National Committee, but criticized the RNC’s current chair, Ronna McDaniel.
Stamp of approval: Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel defended mail-in voting and early voting during a Fox News interview Tuesday, breaking with former President Donald Trump who has falsely claimed voting by mail is rife with fraud, per NBC News’ Henry J. Gomez. An RNC spokesman added that, in those comments, “we were not talking about the former president.”
Nebraska Senate: Outgoing GOP Gov. Pete Ricketts confirmed Tuesday that he will seek an appointment to the Senate when GOP Sen. Ben Sasse leaves the chamber to lead the University of Florida.
Youngkin’s next move?: Virginia GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin is “quietly” considering a run for president in 2024, per the Associated Press. And he faces a key test as he navigates the next legislative session.
Building a bench: Politico reports on how the young class of governors Democrats just elected will play an important role in their party’s future.
