Florida Senate2018
RACE AT A GLANCE
RACE TYPE
Incumbent running
Bill Nelson (D)
Key Dates
Filing Deadline: May 4, 2018
Primary Election: Aug 28, 2018
INCUMBENT
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First Elected: Sign in to view
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INCUMBENT
Full Bio:
NELSON, Clarence William (Bill), a Senator and a Representative from Florida; born in Miami, Dade
County, Fla., September 29, 1942; attended the Brevard County public schools;
graduated from Melbourne High School 1960; B.A., Yale University 1965; J.D.,
University of Virginia School of Law 1968; admitted to the Florida bar in 1968
and commenced practice in Melbourne in 1970; served in United States Army
Reserve 1965-1971; United States Army, active duty, 1968-1970, achieving rank
of captain; legislative assistant to Governor Reubin Askew 1971; elected to
Florida State house of representatives in 1972 and reelected in 1974 and 1976;
elected as a Democrat to the Ninety-sixth and to the five succeeding Congresses
(January 3, 1979-January 3, 1991); was not a candidate for reelection in 1990
to the House of Representatives, but was a candidate for nomination for
governor of Florida; crewmember on the twenty-fourth flight of the Space
Shuttle Columbia, January 12-18, 1986; Florida treasurer and insurance
commissioner 1995-2000; elected to the United States Senate in 2000 for the
term commencing January 3, 2001; reelected in 2006 and again in 2012 for the
term ending January 3, 2019; chair, Special Committee on Aging (One Hundred
Thirteenth Congress).
Source: Bioguide
CANDIDATES
Republicans
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STATE DATA
Florida
Population Breakdown
Source: American Community Survey
Past Presidential Results from this State
2016 Election Results
Source: The Cook Political Report/POLIDATA
2012 Election Results
Source: The Cook Political Report/POLIDATA
RACE ANALYSIS
The Bottom Line
Updated: Aug 30, 2018
Since his election in 2000, Republicans always seem to target Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson only to fall well short of defeating him. This cycle is different as Nelson finds himself in the toughest race of his career. He was first elected to what was an open seat with 51 percent. He was re-elected in 2006 with 60 percent, and again in 2012 with 55 percent against then-GOP U.S. Rep. Connie Mack. In November, Nelson will face Republican Gov. Rick Scott, who is termed out of office at the end of this year. Scott is already well known to voters after seven years at the helm of the state. While he is a strong fundraiser, he has also demonstrated a willingness spend of his personal wealth; Scott spent in excess of $100 million between his two gubernatorial races. This level of spending presents a challenge for Democrats as they try to keep up. They are already being heavily outspent on television, which runs between $2.5 million to $3 million a week, making this race a financial sinkhole for the party. Despite almost two decades in the Senate, Nelson isn’t especially well defined; as a result, he rarely cracks the 50-percent mark in polls and his support is somewhat shallow. Republicans are working to portray him as a backbencher with little to show for his three terms. Democrats will work to tie Scott to President Trump, who is not especially popular in the state. They will also attempt to tag him with responsibility for every problem that ails the state. Every indicator points to a race that will go down to the wire. The contest is in the Toss Up column.
Race Analysis
Updated: Jul 1, 2026
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