Democrats have landed their preferred challenger to take on Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott in one of their few offensive opportunities this cycle.
On Tuesday, former Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell announced her candidacy, but she nonetheless faces an uphill battle in the increasingly reddening Sunshine State. Once the quintessential presidential swing state, Florida has become more reliably Republican in recent years.
In 2022, Rep. Val Demings — an African-American former Orlando police chief — was also touted as a strong challenger to Sen. Marco Rubio and had impressive fundraising. But in one of the GOP’s biggest routs of the night, Rubio rolled to a 16-point victory. Democrats argue last cycle was an aberration, aided by Gov. Ron DeSantis’s overwhelming nearly 2019-point reelection victory over Repformer Gov. Charlie Crist.
But, Democrats believe Scott — a former governor who’s won a series of close contests — is uniquely vulnerable.
Another thing that gives Democrats optimism is Mucarsel-Powell’s biography, and in recent months, they had focused on wooing her into the race. Other early speculation had centered on former Blue Dog
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