Tallahassee

Senate battle: Republican Gov. Rick Scott jumped into the U.S. Senate race this week, cementing Florida’s status as a key battleground in this year’s midterm elections. The two-term governor, who has no serious primary opponents, will face incumbent Democrat Bill Nelson in what’s expected to be one of the most expensive races in the country. Scott alone is expected to spend upwards of $150 million on the race, mainly on TV ads. The wealthy former health-care executive spent tens of millions of his own fortune on his two gubernatorial campaigns, winning each race by a roughly 1-point margin. Recent polling shows Nelson and Scott essentially tied. Republicans are expected to suffer heavy national losses in House seats, but Scott’s entry into the race could boost their chances of holding, or even expanding, their Senate majority. Nelson is one of 10 Democratic senators running for re-election in a state won by President Trump.