Scott declares win in U.S. Senate race

Rick Scott ended his U.S. Senate opponent’s fourdecade political career Tuesday, sending one of Florida’s last-standing Democratic leaders into retirement and painting Florida a deeper shade of red.

Scott, a term-limited Republican governor, bested U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson by a razor-thin margin. The victory provided a major boost to the GOP’s efforts to retain control of the Senate. Now, both of Florida’s senators are Republican, with Marco Rubio holding the other seat.

Scott, 65, rode a tea party wave into the governor’s

mansion in 2010 and with the help of tens of millions of dollars of his own cash he propelled himself into the U.S. Senate.

Scott, speaking to a crowd of supporters in Naples, vowed to work to change Washington just like he did when he entered the governor’s mansion eight years ago.

"I am not going to D.C. to win a popularity contest,” he said “I am going to D.C. to get something done."

The crowd responded by chanting “Senator Scott.”

The high-stakes race attracted an eye-popping amount of cash. The candidates and outside groups spent more than $180 million, surpassing every other race in the 2018 midterm elections. That amount puts Florida in contention for the most expensive U.S. Senate race in the nation’s history, according to records kept by the Center for Responsive Politics.

Scott bankrolled his political rise. He poured more than $60 million of his own wealth into his Senate bid. Including money Scott spent running for governor, he has spent more than $140 million of his own money on elections.

Scott and his wife could be worth more than $500 million, according to federal financial disclosure statements, which would make him one of the wealthiest members of Congress.

Scott tried to distance himself from Trump at times in the race, but he embraced the president on stage at rallies in the Fort Myers area and Pensacola. He thanked Trump in his victory speech.

“It’s shocking to see people actually suggest we embrace socialism,” Scott said. “Socialism will not happen in our nation, and it's not going to happen under my watch."

During the campaign, Scott accused Nelson, 76, of being a do-nothing senator who was long on Washington service and short on accomplishments. Nelson questioned whether Scott could be trusted.

A Medicare fraud fine marred Scott’s business career, which Democrats repeatedly used against Scott. He resigned as CEO of Columbia/HCA just months after a federal inquiry into the company’s business practices went public in 1997. That investigation ultimately resulted in Columbia/ HCA paying a $1.7 billion fine for Medicare fraud.

The candidates clashed over the economy, health care, guns, the environment and the Supreme Court. Nelson sought to brand Scott as “Red Tide Rick,” saying his environmental policies contributed to the algae blooms plaguing Florida’s coasts. Scott fired back, accusing Nelson of not doing enough as senator to improve levees around Lake Okeechobee.

Hurricane Michael, a powerful Category 4 storm, disrupted the race when it slammed into the Panhandle on Oct. 10. Scott briefly suspended his campaign to focus on the recovery.

South Florida’s Democratic stronghold counties of Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach went overwhelmingly for Nelson. But Scott racked up big numbers in the GOP-friendly Panhandle, giving him a path to victory.

On the campaign trail, Scott highlighted how he lived the American Dream going from a childhood in public housing to the governorship. Scott made his fortune in health care, serving as CEO of the for-profit hospital system Columbia/HCA.

During his tenure as governor, he became known for overseeing the state’s hurricane response while wearing his signature Navy cap. He touted the economic recovery that happened under his watch as governor with the refrain — “jobs, jobs, jobs.”

The evening ended the career of the patriarch of Florida’s Democratic Party.

Nelson got his political start in 1972 when he won a seat in the Florida House of Representatives. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1979-1991. He boosted his profile as congressman when he blasted into space as a payload specialist on the space shuttle Columbia.

Nelson suffered a setback in 1990 when he lost a bid for governor, but he rebounded winning the race for U.S. Senate in 2000. As the Democrats lost ground in Florida, Nelson survived, eventually becoming the only Democrat to hold a statewide elected office.

He was one of 10 Senate Democrats running in a state that Trump won in 2016.

At his Naples election party, the listened to “Celebrate” and “Sweet Caroline” and watched the results flash on Fox News.

Scott’s supporters said one factor loomed large in their decision — the direction of the country under Trump.

“I like the way the country is going,” Jim Owens, 61, a registered Republican, said outside his polling site in Margate. “We are finally standing up for ourselves like the big boys on the block that we are.”

Scott ended the night with his campaign slogan — “Let’s get to work.”