Mitch McConnell, the Republican from Kentucky who has led his party in the U.S. Senate since 2007, announced Wednesday that he is stepping down from his leadership post in November.
Could Florida’s Sen. Rick Scott replace him? On Wednesday, Scott put out a statement that won’t exactly tamp down the speculation.
“We need new leadership in the Senate that represents our voters and the issues we were sent here to fight for,” Scott said in a statement posted to X, the site formerly known as Twitter. “This is an opportunity to refocus our efforts on solving the significant challenges facing our country and actually reflect the aspirations of voters.”
When contacted for comment, Scott’s office referred a reporter to the statement posted to X.
Scott challenged McConnell for the minority leadership post in 2022, but was defeated handily. The former Florida governor was first elected to the Senate in 2018, and faces reelection this year.
Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, a potential Democratic opponent of Scott’s, wrote in a statement posted to X that McConnell’s decision increased the stakes of Florida’s 2024 Senate race.
“If we lose the Senate, Scott could become Senate Majority Leader. That’s not a world I want to live in,” Mucarsel-Powell wrote.
Since before he ran for Senate, Scott has positioned himself as a staunch ally of Donald Trump, endorsing him for president in March 2016.
Scott in 2022 led the Senate GOP’s 2022 campaign arm, butting heads at times with McConnell as he did so.
The Senate currently favors Democrats 51-49, but Republicans have pickup opportunities in several states this fall, including West Virginia, Arizona, Ohio and Montana. Should Republicans win the chamber, and should Scott lead them, he would hold a great deal of sway over Congress’ legislative agenda.
Florida’s other Republican senator, Marco Rubio, also appeared to react to the McConnell news Wednesday.
Rubio posted a single emoji to X of a blushing face.
And still another prominent Florida Republican outwardly celebrated the news of McConnell’s departure.
“Better days are ahead for the Republican Party,” U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz posted.
This is a developing story and may be updated. Check back at tampabay.com for more.
