Florida Gov. Rick Scott arrives at Restaurant El Arepazo 2 to hold a bill-signing ceremony on March 28 in Doral, Fla., for legislation to prohibit all state agencies from doing business with any entity that benefits the Venezuelan regime. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Florida Gov. Rick Scott is expected to travel to Washington next week to raise money for the Senate campaign he is poised to begin Monday, said three Republicans familiar with his plans.
Party power brokers have been in contact in recent days to make arrangements for the Republican governor to raise money in Washington. The Republicans said Scott is expected to be in the nation’s capital on April 19. They spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe plans that had not been announced publicly.
Scott is positioned to announce his widely anticipated Senate run Monday morning. “Please join me on Facebook Live, tomorrow at 10AM to hear my big announcement,” he wrote on Twitter on Sunday.
Scott’s political advisers did not immediately respond to inquiries seeking comment.
For months, President Trump and other party leaders have been urging Scott to challenge Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson. Republicans are defending a 51-49 majority, and officials say he will make the race instantly competitive and force Democrats to devote considerable resources to the contest that they would have spent in other battlegrounds.
There has been talk among Scott’s close associates about amassing more than $100 million for his bid. Campaign cash is especially valuable in Florida, which has many major media markets where it will cost millions to run advertisements as the election nears.
Scott is wealthy and able to put his own money into the campaign. But his associates have said he will aggressively raise money from donors and will rely more heavily on that cash to fund his bid.
Two of the Republicans familiar with Scott’s plans said he is expected to campaign this week in some of Florida’s largest metropolitan areas.
