Florida Governor Rick Scott didn’t come out and say he’s running for the U.S. Senate in 2018 at this year’s NRA Annual Meeting… but he sure as heck sounded like he was putting together an argument in favor of running.
Speaking before several thousand NRA members in Atlanta, Georgia, Scott’s remarks focused upon the Supreme Court, not the normal top priority of a governor, but it makes sense if that governor is term-limited and his home state is trending Republican and a vulnerable Democratic senator, like Bill Nelson, is up for reelection.
Referring to the 5-4 Heller decision that struck down a Washington D.C. restriction on the ownership of handguns, Scott asked, “Shouldn’t it be 9-0 in the defense of freedom and liberty? Shouldn’t it be a prerequisite to believe in the Constitution to be a Supreme Court justice?”
Pointing to the near party-line vote that confirmed Justice Neil Gorsuch, Scott declared, “I believe it is crucial to increase the Republican majority in the U.S. Senate. It is nice that we have 52 Republican senators, but that means the confirmation of any future Supreme Court nominee depends upon the two least conservative members [of the GOP Senate caucus]. I won’t name any names, but that makes me uncomfortable.” All Republicans voted for Gorsuch, but some senators, like Maine’s Susan Collins and Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski, did not vote to confirm President Trump’s Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos.
Pointing to Democrats’ filibuster of Gorsuch, Scott warned, “they will do it again” and contended, “a number of senators did not represent their states. These senators need to be retired. Unfortunately, one of my senators is very far to the left.” Scott pointed out that the Nelson had voted for Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor, and against Neil Gorsuch.
He praised the assembled attendees has having “done great… but we have to keep fighting.” Like fighting to elect him to the Senate next year? Scott wasn’t quite so explicit… but his decision would instantly make Florida one of the most competitive contests in the 2018 cycle.