Rick Scott

Rick Scott

Republican Party

U.S. Senate Florida

Tenure

2019 - Present

Term ends

2031

Years in position

6

Predecessor

Bill Nelson

Prior offices

Governor of Florida

Successor: Ron DeSantis

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Compensation

Base salary

$174,000

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 5, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

University of Missouri, Kansas City

Law

Southern Methodist University

Personal

Profession

Health care executive, lawyer

Contact

Official website

Official Facebook

Official Twitter

Official Instagram

Official YouTube

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Campaign YouTube

Personal LinkedIn

Rick Scott (Republican Party) is a member of the U.S. Senate from Florida. He assumed office on January 3, 2019. His current term ends on January 3, 2031.

Scott (Republican Party) ran for re-election to the U.S. Senate to represent Florida. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

In May 2024, Scott announced he was running to replace Sen. Mitch McConnell (R) as leader. He was defeated by Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) in the November 13, 2024, leadership election. Click here to read more about the election.

Biography

Scott was born in Bloomington, Illinois. He grew up in Kansas City, Missouri. After high school, Scott spent one year in community college before joining the U.S. Navy.

He served for over two years, with much of that time spent aboard the U.S.S. Glover as a radar technician. Upon leaving the Navy, Scott attended the University of Missouri-Kansas City and went on to law school at Southern Methodist University. He began his business career while in college, purchasing two doughnut shops. After law school he joined Johnson & Swanson in Dallas, Texas; at the time, the firm was the largest in the city.

While a partner at Johnson & Swanson in 1987, Scott formed HCA Acquisition Company specifically to acquire Hospital Corporation of America and secured funding conditional on completing the acquisition. The initial offer was declined by HCA and ultimately withdrawn.

The next year, he formed Columbia Hospital Corporation and acquired several Dallas area hospitals. Beginning in 1992, Scott and his partners bought one hospital per year for four years, including Hospital Corporation of America. By 1997, Columbia/HCA was the largest healthcare provider in the world, with annual revenues exceeding $23 billion.

While Scott was CEO of Columbia/HCA, a federal investigation was launched, and the company ultimately paid $1.7 billion in fines. As part of the settlement, Scott resigned from the company in 1997. He said that he was unaware of the fraud and that he was never indicted or questioned in the case. Scott then moved to Naples, Florida, and founded Richard L. Scott Investments. Starting in 1998, the firm acquired numerous companies.

Education

• Southern Methodist University, J.D.
• University of Missouri, Kansas City

Committee assignments

U.S. Senate

2023-2024

Scott was assigned to the following committees:^[Source]

• Senate Committee on Armed Services
• Subcommittee on Airland
• Subcommittee on Personnel, Ranking Member
• Subcommittee on Seapower
• Senate Committee on Budget
• Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
• Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
• Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations
• Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Spending Oversight
• Committee on Aging (Special)
• Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
• Committee on Foreign Relations
• Committee on Finance

2021-2022

Scott was assigned to the following committees:^[Source]

• Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
• Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations
• Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Spending Oversight
• Committee on Aging (Special)
• Senate Committee on Armed Services
• Airland
• Emerging Threats and Capabilities
• Seapower
• Senate Committee on Budget
• Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
• Communications, Media, and Broadband
• Space and Science
• Surface Transportation, Maritime, Freight, and Ports
• Tourism, Trade, and Export Promotion, Ranking Member

Political career

U.S. Senator from Florida (2019-present)

Scott is a member of the U.S. Senate from Florida. He defeated incumbent Sen. Bill Nelson (D) in the election on November 6, 2018.

Governor of Florida (2011-2019)

Scott was elected Governor of Florida in 2010 on a ticket with Jennifer Carroll and took office the following January. He was re-elected in 2014 and began his second term on January 6, 2015. He served until 2019.

Key votes

See also: Key votes

Ballotpedia monitors legislation that receives a vote and highlights the ones that we consider to be key to understanding where elected officials stand on the issues. To read more about how we identify key votes, click here.

Key votes: 118th Congress, 2023-2025

The 118th United States Congress began on January 3, 2023, and ended on January 3, 2025. At the start of the session, Republicans held the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives (222-212), and Democrats held the majority in the U.S. Senate (51-49). Joe Biden (D) was the president and Kamala Harris (D) was the vice president. We identified the key votes below using Congress' top-viewed bills list and through marquee coverage of certain votes on Ballotpedia.

Key votes: 118th Congress, 2023-2025
Vote	Bill and description	Status
Yea	National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024   The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (H.R. 2670) was a bill passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 22, 2023, authorizing Department of Defense activities and programs for fiscal year 2024. The bill required a simple majority vote in the Senate to pass the bill as amended by a Senate and House conference report.	Passed (87-13)
Nay	Further Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act, 2024   The Further Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act, 2024 (H.R. 6363) was a bill passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on November 17, 2023, providing for the funding of federal agencies through January 19, 2024. The bill prevented a government shutdown that would have taken place if funding was not approved by November 17, 2023. The bill required a three-fifths majority vote in the Senate.	Passed (87-11)
Yea	Continuing Appropriations Act, 2024 and Other Extensions Act   The Continuing Appropriations Act, 2024 and Other Extensions Act (H.R. 5860) was a bill approved by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on September 30, 2023, providing for the funding of federal agencies through November 17, 2023. The bill prevented a government shutdown that would have taken place if funding was not approved by October 1, 2023. The bill required a three-fifths majority vote in the Senate.	Passed (88-9)
Nay	Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023   The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (H.R. 3746) was a bill passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on June 3, 2023. The bill raised the federal debt limit until January 2025. The bill also capped non-defense spending in fiscal year 2024, rescinded unspent coronavirus relief funding, rescinded some Internal Revenue Service (IRS) funding, enhanced work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program (TANF), simplified environmental reviews for energy projects, and ended the student loan debt repayment pause in August 2023. The bill required a three-fifths majority vote in the Senate. Click here to read more.	Passed (63-36)
Yea	Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on March 13, 2020.   H.J.Res. 7 (Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on March 13, 2020.) was a joint resolution of disapproval under the terms of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on April 10, 2023. The resolution ended the national coronavirus state of emergency, which began on March 13, 2020. The resolution required a simple majority vote in the Senate. Click here to read more.	Passed (68-23)
Yea	Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives relating to "Factoring Criteria for Firearms with Attached 'Stabilizing Braces'".   H.J.Res. 44 (Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives relating to "Factoring Criteria for Firearms with Attached 'Stabilizing Braces'".) was a joint resolution of disapproval under the terms of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) passed by the House of Representatives and voted down by the Senate. The bill sought to nullify a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) rule establishing criteria to determine whether firearms equipped with stabilizing braces that facilitate shoulder fire were subject to regulation under the National Firearms Act. The resolution required a simple majority vote in the Senate.	Failed (50-49)
Yea	Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to "Prudence and Loyalty in Selecting Plan Investments and Exercising Shareholder Rights".   H.J.Res. 30 (Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to "Prudence and Loyalty in Selecting Plan Investments and Exercising Shareholder Rights".) was a joint resolution of disapproval under the terms of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) passed by the 118th Congress and vetoed by President Joe Biden (D) on March 20, 2023. This was Biden's first veto of his presidency. The resolution sought to nullify a Department of Labor rule that amended the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to allow retirement plans to consider certain environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) factors in investment-related decisions. The resolution required a simple majority vote in the Senate. Click here to read more.	Passed (50-46)
Yea	The Social Security Fairness Act of 2023   The Social Security Fairness Act of 2023 (H.R. 82) was a bill passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on January 5, 2025, that reduced Social Security benefits for individuals who received other pensions from state or local governments. It also eliminated an offset that would reduce benefits for spouses and widows of individuals with government pensions. It also eliminated a provision that reduced benefits for an individual who received a pension or disability benefit from an employer that did not withhold Social Security taxes. This bill required a 2/3rds majority vote to pass.	Passed (76-20)
Nay	Consolidated Appropriations Act 2024   The Consolidated Appropriations Act 2024 (H.R. 4366) was a bill passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on March 9, 2024, authorizing appropriations for various government departments for the fiscal year 2024. The bill required a two-thirds majority vote in the House to pass the bill as amended by a Senate and House conference report.	Passed (75-22)
Yea	FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024   The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 (H.R. 3935) was a bill passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on May 16, 2024, that reauthorized Federal Aviation Administration funding until fiscal year 2028. The bill also made other modifications to address various department-related issues. The bill required a two-thirds majority vote in the House to pass the bill as amended by a Senate and House conference report.	Passed (88-4)
Nay	Impeaching Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas, Secretary of Homeland Security, for high crimes and misdemeanors (dismissal of first article)   H.Res.863 Impeaching Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas, Secretary of Homeland Security, for high crimes and misdemeanors, passed the U.S. House on February 13, 2024. The resolution impeached U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas for high crimes and misdemeanors. The motion to impeach required a majority in the House and a 2/3rds vote in the Senate.	Passed (51-48)
Nay	Impeaching Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas, Secretary of Homeland Security, for high crimes and misdemeanors (dismissal of second article)   H.Res.863 Impeaching Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas, Secretary of Homeland Security, for high crimes and misdemeanors, passed the U.S. House on February 13, 2024. The resolution impeached U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas for high crimes and misdemeanors. The motion to impeach required a majority in the House and a 2/3rds vote in the Senate.	Passed (51-49)
Nay	Making emergency supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, and for other purposes.   H.R. 815, Making emergency supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, and for other purposes, was passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on April 24, 2024, appropriating foreign aid to Israel, Taiwan, and Ukraine. The bill also mandated the company ByteDance divested from TikTok or the app would be removed from the U.S. This bill required a majority vote.	Passed (79-18)
Nay	Border Act of 2024   The Border Act of 2024 (S.4361) was voted down in the U.S. Senate on April 23, 2024. The bill would have expanded the Department of Homeland Security's capabilities of handling individuals entering/residing in the country without permission. It would have expanded the Department's capabilities at the border. It required 3/5ths of the vote to pass cloture.	Failed (43-50)
Nay	Right to IVF Act   S.4445, the Right to IVF Act, was voted down in the U.S. Senate on September 17, 2024. The bill would have codified access to in vitro fertilization (IVF) into law. This bill required a 3/5ths majority vote to pass cloture.	Failed (51-44)
Not Voting	Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025   H.R.9747, the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025, was passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on September 26, 2024, providing funding to federal agencies, including the Secret Service, and federal programs for the 2025 fiscal year. The bill required a two-thirds majority vote in the House to pass the bill as amended by a Senate and House conference report.	Passed (78-18)
Yea	Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024   The Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024 (H.R.7024) was a bill passed by the U.S. House on January 31, 2024, that would have modified the U.S. tax code, increasing how much money can be given back in credits and what is exempt. This bill required a 2/3rds majority vote to pass.	Failed (48-44)

Key votes: Previous sessions of Congress

Key votes (click "show" to expand or "hide" to contract)

Key votes: 117th Congress, 2021-2023 The 117th United States Congress began on January 3, 2021 and ended on January 3, 2023. At the start of the session, Democrats held the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives (222-213), and the U.S. Senate had a 50-50 makeup. Democrats assumed control of the Senate on January 20, 2021, when President Joe Biden (D) and Vice President Kamala Harris (D), who acted as a tie-breaking vote in the chamber, assumed office. We identified the key votes below using Congress' top-viewed bills list and through marquee coverage of certain votes on Ballotpedia. Key votes: 117th Congress, 2021-2023 Vote Bill and description Status Nay Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act   The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (H.R. 3684) was a federal infrastructure bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on November 15, 2021. Among other provisions, the bill provided funding for new infrastructure projects and reauthorizations, Amtrak maintenance and development, bridge repair, replacement, and rehabilitation, clean drinking water, high-speed internet, and clean energy transmission and power infrastructure upgrades. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage. Click here to read more. Passed (69-30) Nay American Rescue Plan Act of 2021   The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (H.R. 1319) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on March 11, 2021, to provide economic relief in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Key features of the bill included funding for a national vaccination program and response, funding to safely reopen schools, distribution of $1,400 per person in relief payments, and extended unemployment benefits. The bill required a 1/2 majority vote in the Senate. Click here to read more. Passed (50-49) Nay Inflation Reduction Act of 2022   The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (H.R. 5376) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on August 16, 2022, to address climate change, healthcare costs, and tax enforcement. Key features of the bill included a $369 billion investment to address energy security and climate change, an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies, allowing Medicare to negotiate certain drug prices, a 15% corporate minimum tax, a 1% stock buyback fee, and enhanced Internal Revenue Service (IRS) enforcement, and an estimated $300 billion deficit reduction from 2022-2031. The bill required a 1/2 majority vote in the Senate. Click here to read more. Passed (51-50) Yea National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022   The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 (S. 1605) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 27, 2021, authorizing Department of Defense acitivities and programs for fiscal year 2022. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage. Passed (88-11) Yea James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023   The James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (H.R. 7776) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 23, 2022, authorizing Department of Defense activities and programs for fiscal year 2023. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage. Passed (83-11) Yea Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022   The Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022 (S. 3373) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on August 10, 2022, that sought to address healthcare access, the presumption of service-connection, and research, resources, and other matters related to veterans who were exposed to toxic substances during military service. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage. Passed (86-11) Nay Chips and Science Act   The Chips and Science Act (H.R. 4346) was a bill approved by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on August 9, 2022, which sought to fund domestic production of semiconductors and authorized various federal science agency programs and activities. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage. Passed (64-33) Nay Women’s Health Protection Act of 2021   The Women's Health Protection Act of 2021 (H.R. 3755) was a bill passed by the House of Representatives. The bill proposed prohibiting governmental restrictions on the provision of and access to abortion services and prohibiting governments from issuing some other abortion-related restrictions. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage. Failed (46-48) Nay Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022   The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (H.R. 2471) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on March 15, 2022, providing for the funding of federal agencies for the remainder of 2022, providing funding for activities related to Ukraine, and modifying or establishing various programs. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage. Passed (68-31) Nay Respect for Marriage Act   The Respect for Marriage Act (H.R. 8404) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 13, 2022. The bill codified the recognition of marriages between individuals of the same sex and of different races, ethnicities, or national origins, and provided that the law would not impact religious liberty or conscience protections, or provide grounds to compel nonprofit religious organizations to recognize same-sex marriages. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage. Click here to read more. Passed (61-36) Nay Continuing Appropriations and Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023   The Continuing Appropriations and Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023 (H.R. 6833) was a bill approved by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on September 30, 2022. It provided for some fiscal year 2023 appropriations, supplemental funds for Ukraine, and extended several other programs and authorities. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage. Passed (72-25) Yea COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act   The COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act (S. 937) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on May 20, 2021, that included provisions to designate an officer or employee of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to facilitate expedited review of hate crimes, required the DOJ to issue guidance to law enforcement agencies aimed to establish online hate crime reporting processes and to raise awareness about hate crimes during the COVID-19 pandemic, and established state grants to create hate crime reporting hotlines, among other related provisions. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage. Passed (94-1) Nay Postal Service Reform Act of 2022   The Postal Service Reform Act of 2022 (H.R. 3076) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on April 6, 2022, that sought to address healthcare and retirement benefits for postal workers, allow USPS to provide certain nonpostal products and services, and expand service performance and budgetary reporting. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage. Passed (79-19) Nay Bipartisan Safer Communities Act   The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (S. 2938) was a firearm regulation and mental health bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on June 25, 2022. Provisions of the bill included expanding background checks for individuals under the age of 21, providing funding for mental health services, preventing individuals who had been convicted of a domestic violence misdemeanor or felony in dating relationships from purchasing firearms for five years, providing funding for state grants to implement crisis intervention order programs, and providing funding for community-based violence prevention initiatives. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage. Click here to read more. Passed (65-33) Nay Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act   The Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act (H.R. 5305) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on September 30, 2021, that provided for continuing fiscal year 2022 appropriations to federal agencies through December 3, 2021, in order to prevent a government shutdown that would have otherwise occurred if fiscal year 2022 appropriations bills had not been passed by October 1, 2021. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate. Passed (65-35) Not guilty Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors.   This was a resolution before the 117th Congress setting forth an article of impeachment saying that Donald Trump (R) incited an insurrection against the government of the United States on January 6, 2021. The House of Representatives approved the article of impeachment, and the Senate adjudged that Trump was not guilty of the charges. Conviction on the impeachment charges required a 2/3 majority vote in the Senate. Click here to read more. Not guilty (57-43) Nay Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2022   The Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2022 (H.R. 350) was a bill passed by the House of Representatives and voted down by the Senate in a failed cloture vote that sought to expand the availability and reporting of information about domestic terrorism, enhance the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) ability to prosecute domestic terrorism, among other things. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage. Failed (47-47) Nay A concurrent resolution setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2022 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2023 through 2031.   This concurrent resolution (S.Con.Res. 14) was a budget resolution passed by the 117th Congress outlining the fiscal year 2022 federal government budget, setting forth budgetary levels for fiscal years 2023-2031, and providing reconciliation instructions for legislation that increased the deficit. It contained a proposed framework for the Build Back Better Act. The resolution required 1/2 majority vote in the Senate. Click here to read more. Passed (50-49) Nay Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act   The Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act was a federal elections bill approved by the House of Representatives and voted down by the Senate in a failed cloture vote that sought to, among other provisions, make Election Day a public holiday, allow for same-day voter registration, establish minimum early voting periods, and allow absentee voting for any reason, restrict the removal of local election administrators in federal elections, regulate congressional redistricting, expand campaign finance disclosure rules for some organizations, and amend the Voting Rights Act to require some states to obtain clearance from the U.S. Department of Justice before implementing new election laws. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage. Click here to read more. Failed (49-51) Nay Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act of 2022   The Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act was a bill passed by the 117th Congress in the form of an amendment to a year-end omnibus funding bill that was signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 23, 2022. The bill changed the procedure for counting electoral votes outlined in the Electoral Count Act of 1887. Elements of the bill included specifying that the vice president's role at the joint session of congress to count electoral votes is ministerial, raising the objection threshold at the joint session of congress to count electoral votes to one-fifth of the members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, identifying governors as the single official responsible for submitting the certificate of ascertainment identifying that state’s electors, and providing for expedited judicial review of certain claims about states' certificates identifying their electors. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to concur in the House's version of the bill. Click here to read more. Passed (68-29) Key votes: 116th Congress, 2019-2021 The 116th United States Congress began on January 9, 2019, and ended on January 3, 2021. At the start of the session, Democrats held the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives (235-200), and Republicans held the majority in the U.S. Senate (53-47). Donald Trump (R) was the president and Mike Pence (R) was the vice president. We identified the key votes below using Congress' top-viewed bills list and through marquee coverage of certain votes on Ballotpedia. Key votes: 116th Congress, 2019-2021 Vote Bill and description Status Yea CARES Act   The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (H.R. 748) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump (R) on March 27, 2020, that expanded benefits through the joint federal-state unemployment insurance program during the coronavirus pandemic. The legislation also included $1,200 payments to certain individuals, funding for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, and funds for businesses, hospitals, and state and local governments. The bill required a three-fifths majority vote in the Senate. Passed (96-0) Yea National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020   The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (S. 1790) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump (R) on December 20, 2019, setting policies and appropriations for the Department of Defense. Key features of this bill include appropriations for research/development, procurement, military construction, and operation/maintenence, as well as policies for paid family leave, North Korea nuclear sanctions, limiting the use of criminal history in federal hiring and contracting, military housing privatization, and paid family leave for federal personnel. This bill required a simple majroity vote in the Senate. Passed (86-8) Not Voting Families First Coronavirus Response Act   The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump (R) on March 18, 2020, addressing the COVID-19 pandemic by increasing access to unemployment benefits and food assistance, increasing funding for Medicaid, providing free testing for COVID-19, and requiring employers to provide paid sick time to employees who cannot work due to COVID-19. The bill required a three-fifths majority vote in the Senate. Passed (90-8) Nay Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020   The Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (H.R. 1865) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump (R) on December 20, 2019, providing appropriations for federal agencies in fiscal year 2020. This bill required a simple majority vote in the Senate. Passed (71-23) Yea Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020   The Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020 (H.R. 6074) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump on March 6, 2020, providing emergency funding to federal agencies in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Key features of the bill include funding for vaccine research, small business loans, humanitarian assistance to affected foreign countries, emergency preparedness, and grants for public health agencies and organizations. This bill required a three-fifths majority vote in the Senate. Passed (96-1) Yea Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019   The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019 (H.J.Res. 31) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump on February 15, 2019, providing approrations for Fiscal Year 2019. This bill required a simple majority vote in the Senate. Passed (83-16) Yea John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act   The John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act (S. 47) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Doanld Trump on March 12, 2019. This bill sought to set provisions for federal land management and conservation by doing things such as conducting land exchanges and conveyances, establishing programs to respond to wildfires, and extending and reauthorizing wildlife conservation programs. This bill required a simple majority vote in the Senate. Passed (92-8) Yea William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (passage)   The William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (H.R. 6395) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and vetoed by President Donald Trump on December 23, 2020. Congress voted to override Trump's veto, and the bill became law on January 1, 2021. The bill set Department of Defense policies and appropriations for Fiscal Year 2021. Trump vetoed the bill due to disagreement with provisions related to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, the renaming of certain military installations, limits on emergency military construction fund usage, and limits on troop withdrawals. This bill required a simple majority vote in the Senate on passage, and a two-thirds majority vote to overcome the veto. Passed (84-13) Yea William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (overcoming veto)   The William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (H.R. 6395) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and vetoed by President Donald Trump on December 23, 2020. Congress voted to override Trump's veto, and the bill became law on January 1, 2021. The bill set Department of Defense policies and appropriations for Fiscal Year 2021. Trump vetoed the bill due to disagreement with provisions related to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, the renaming of certain military installations, limits on emergency military construction fund usage, and limits on troop withdrawals. This bill required a simple majority vote in the Senate on passage, and a two-thirds majority vote to overcome the veto. Passed (81-13) Yea Strengthening America's Security in the Middle East Act of 2019   The Strengthening America's Security in the Middle East Act of 2019 (S. 1) is a bill approved by the Senate that sought to address security in certain Middle Eastern countries by sending resources to Israel, extending defense cooperation in Jordan, establishing sanctions related to the conflict in Syria, and allowing states to divest from entities boycotting Israel. The bill required a simple majority vote in the Senate. Passed (77-23) Nay Continuing Appropriations Act, 2021 and Other Extensions Act   The Continuing Appropriations Act, 2021 and Other Extensions Act (H.R. 8337) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump on October 1st, 2020, continuing appropriations to federal agencies for Fiscal Year 2021 as well as extending certain expiring programs that address issues such as health care, surface transportation, agriculture, and veterans benefits. This bill required a simple majority vote in the Senate. Passed (84-10) Yea Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020   The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (H.R. 1158) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump on December 20, 2019, providing appropriations for the 2020 Fiscal Year for federal agencies. This bill required a simple majority vote in the Senate. Passed (81-11) Nay Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2020, and Further Health Extenders Act of 2019   The Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2020, and Further Health Extenders Act of 2019 (H.R. 3055) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump (R) on December 20, 2019, providing Fiscal Year 2020 appropriations to federal agencies through December 20, 2019 and extending certain programs and authorites that were set to expire. This bill prevented a government shutdown, and provided a pay raise for the military, repealed a revocation of state highway funding, and modified the United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund. This bill required a two-thirds majority vote in the Senate. Passed (74-20) Yea Never Forget the Heroes: James Zadroga, Ray Pfeifer, and Luis Alvarez Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act   The Never Forget the Heroes: James Zadroga, Ray Pfeifer, and Luis Alvarez Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act (H.R. 1327) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump on July 29, 2019, providing funds for the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001. Key features of the bill included allowing claims to be filed until October 2090, removing the cap on noneconomic damages in certain circumstances, and periodically adjusting the annual limit on economic loss compensation for inflation. This bill required a simple majority vote from the Senate. Passed (97-2) Not guilty Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors. (article 1)   The 2020 impeachment of Donald Trump (R) was a resolution before the 116th Congress to set forth two articles of impeachment saying that Trump abused his power and obstructed congress. The first article was related to allegations that Trump requested the Ukrainian government investigate former Vice President Joe Biden (D) and his son, Hunter Biden, in exchange for aid, and the second was related to Trump's response to the impeachment inquiry.The House of Representatives approved both articles of impeachment, and the Senate adjudged that Trump was not guilty of either charge. Conviction on the impeachment charges required a two-thirds majority vote in the Senate. Not Guilty (52-48) Not guilty Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors. (article 2)   The 2020 impeachment of Donald Trump (R) was a resolution before the 116th Congress to set forth two articles of impeachment saying that Trump abused his power and obstructed congress. The first article was related to allegations that Trump requested the Ukrainian government investigate former Vice President Joe Biden (D) and his son, Hunter Biden, in exchange for aid, and the second was related to Trump's response to the impeachment inquiry.The House of Representatives approved both articles of impeachment, and the Senate adjudged that Trump was not guilty of either charge. Conviction on the impeachment charges required a two-thirds majority vote in the Senate. Not Guilty (53-47) Yea United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act   The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act (H.R. 5430) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump (R) on October 21, 2020, establishing a trade agreement between the United States, Mexico, and Canada meant to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) by establishing provisions such as labor and environment monitoring and enforcement, de minimis levels for U.S. exports, and cooperation among treaty members to prevent duty evasion. This bill required a simple majority vote in the Senate. Passed (89-10) Yea Pallone-Thune Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence Act   The Pallone-Thune Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence Act (S. 151) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump (R) on December 30, 2019, setting forth rules to reduce criminal robot calls. Some key featues of the bill included requiring voice service providers to develop call authentication technologies, creating rules to protect a subscriber from receiving unwanted calls or texts from a caller using an unauthenticated number, and protecting individuals from one-ring scams. This bill required a simple majority vote in the Senate. Passed (97-1) Yea Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Humanitarian Assistance and Security at the Southern Border Act, 2019   The Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Humanitarian Assistance and Security at the Southern Border Act, 2019 (H.R. 3401) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump (R) on July 1, 2019, providing emergency approprations for humanitarian assistance and security to respond to people attempting to enter the United States at the southern border. This bill required a three-fifths majority vote in the Senate. Passed (84-8) Yea Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act, 2019   The Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act, 2019 (H.R. 2157) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump on June 6, 2019, providing approprations to certain federal departments in order to address expenses incured by recent natural disasters. This bill required a simple majority vote in the Senate. Passed (85-8) Nay Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on February 15, 2019.   H.J.Res.46 (Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on February 15, 2019.) was a resolution passed by the 116th Congress and vetoed by President Donald Trump (R). This resolution sought to terminate the national emergency related to the U.S.-Mexico border, declared by President Trump on February 15, 2019. The bill required a simple majority vote in the Senate. Passed (59-41)

Elections

2024

See also: United States Senate election in Florida, 2024

General election

General election for U.S. Senate Florida

The following candidates ran in the general election for U.S. Senate Florida on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Rick Scott (R)	55.6	5,977,706
		Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D)	42.8	4,603,077
		Ben Everidge (No Party Affiliation)	0.6	62,683
		Feena Bonoan (L)	0.5	57,363
		Tuan Nguyen (No Party Affiliation)	0.5	56,586
		Howard Knepper (No Party Affiliation) (Write-in)	0.0	13

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 10,757,428
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Shantele Bennett (No Party Affiliation)
• Grace Granda (No Party Affiliation)
• Marcos Reyes (No Party Affiliation)
• A.C. Toulme (One Earth Party)
• Mason Cysewski (G)
• Salomon Hernandez (No Party Affiliation)
• Randy Toler (G)
• Samir Hazza (No Party Affiliation)
• James Davis (No Party Affiliation)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Florida

Debbie Mucarsel-Powell defeated Stanley Campbell, Brian Rush, and Rod Joseph in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Florida on August 20, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Debbie Mucarsel-Powell	68.5	747,397
		Stanley Campbell	19.6	213,777
		Brian Rush	6.7	73,013
		Rod Joseph	5.2	56,961

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,091,148
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Donald Horan (D)
• Everett Stern (D)
• Chase Anderson Romagnano (D)
• Josue Larose (D)
• Matthew Sanscrainte (D)
• Bernard Korn (D)
• Alan Grayson (D)
• Matt Boswell (D)
• Phil Ehr (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. Senate Florida

Incumbent Rick Scott defeated Keith Gross and John Columbus in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Florida on August 20, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Rick Scott	84.4	1,283,904
		Keith Gross	9.4	142,392
		John Columbus	6.3	95,342

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,521,638
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Katy Sun (R)
• Angela Marie Walls-Windhauser (R)
• Shannon O'Dell (R)
• Patricia Krentcil (R)
• Joe Smith (R)

Libertarian primary election

The Libertarian primary election was canceled. Feena Bonoan advanced from the Libertarian primary for U.S. Senate Florida.

Endorsements

Scott received the following endorsements.

• Former President Donald Trump (R)

Pledges

Scott signed the following pledges.

• Taxpayer Protection Pledge, Americans for Tax Reform

2018

See also: United States Senate election in Florida, 2018

See also: United States Senate election in Florida (August 28, 2018 Republican primary)

General election

General election for U.S. Senate Florida

Rick Scott defeated incumbent Bill Nelson in the general election for U.S. Senate Florida on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Rick Scott (R)	50.1	4,099,505
		Bill Nelson (D)	49.9	4,089,472
		Other/Write-in votes	0.0	1,028

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 8,190,005
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Joe Allen (Independent)
• Joe Wendt (L)
• Gregory Bowles (Independent)
• Carlos Garcia (Independent)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Florida

Incumbent Bill Nelson advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Florida on August 28, 2018.

		Candidate
✔		Bill Nelson

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Tamika Lyles (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. Senate Florida

Rick Scott defeated Roque De La Fuente in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Florida on August 28, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Rick Scott	88.6	1,456,187
		Roque De La Fuente	11.4	187,209

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,643,396
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Martin Mikhail (R)
• Augustus Sol Invictus (R)
• Joe Smith (R)
• Marcia Thorne (R)

Possible 2016 Republican vice presidential candidate

See also: Possible vice presidential picks, 2016

Scott was mentioned in 2016 as a possible Republican vice presidential candidate. Click here for the full list of those who were floated by politicians and news outlets as possible running mates.

2014

See also: Florida gubernatorial election, 2014

Scott ran for re-election in 2014. Scott secured the Republican nomination in the primary on August 26, 2014. Scott ran on the GOP ticket with Florida Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera in the general election. They defeated the Democratic ticket of Charlie Crist and Annette Taddeo-Goldstein, the Libertarian ticket of Adrian Wyllie and Greg Roe, and seven other unaffiliated and write-in tickets to win the general election on November 4, 2014.

Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Florida, 2014
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Rick Scott/Carlos Lopez-Cantera Incumbent	48.1%	2,865,343
	Democratic	Charlie Crist/Annette Taddeo-Goldstein	47.1%	2,801,198
	Libertarian	Adrian Wyllie/Greg Roe	3.8%	223,356
	No Party Affiliation	Glenn Burkett/Jose Augusto Matos	0.7%	41,341
	No Party Affiliation	Farid Khavari/Lateresa Jones	0.3%	20,186
	Nonpartisan	Write-in votes	0%	137
Total Votes				5,951,561
Election results via Florida Division of Elections

Governor of Florida, Republican Primary, 2014
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Rick Scott Incumbent	87.6%	831,887
Elizabeth Cuevas-Neunder	10.6%	100,496
Yinka Adeshina	1.8%	16,761
Total Votes		949,144
Election results via Florida Division of Elections.

2010

See also: Florida gubernatorial election, 2010 and Gubernatorial elections, 2010

Scott won election as Governor of Florida in 2010. He defeated Bill McCollum and Mike McAllister in the August 24 primary, winning with 46.4 percent of the vote. Scott faced Democrat Alex Sink in the general election on November 2, 2010, winning by just over 1 percent.

Florida Gubernatorial/Lt. Gubernatorial General Election, 2010
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Rick Scott/Jennifer Carroll	48.9%	2,619,335
	Democratic	Alex Sink/Rod Smith	47.7%	2,557,785
	Independent	Peter L. Allen/John E. Zanni	2.3%	123,831
	No Party Affiliation	C.C. Reed/Larry Waldo, Sr.	0.4%	18,842
	No Party Affiliation	Michael E. Arth/Al Krulick	0.3%	18,644
	No Party Affiliation	Daniel Imperato/Karl Behm	0.3%	13,690
	No Party Affiliation	Farid Khavari/Darcy G. Richardson	0.1%	7,487
	Write-in	Josue Larouse/Valencia St. Louis	0%	121
Total Votes				5,359,735
Election results via Florida Department of State

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Rick Scott did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

2018

Campaign website

Scott’s campaign website stated the following:

“	Governor Rick Scott’s “Make Washington Work” Plan is aimed squarely at reforming the dysfunctional and tired ways of thinking in Washington in order to make it actually work for families across the nation – not just for career politicians in D.C. Read the entire Make Washington Work Plan Here. Term Limits Career politicians are never going to change Washington, which is why Governor Scott is proposing to implement term limits for all members of Congress. Implementing term limits will help ensure elected officials work for Americans, not for themselves. Supermajority Vote To Approve Any Tax Or Fee Increase Just like Governor Scott championed this year in Florida, he will work to require a supermajority vote of two-thirds of each house of Congress to approve any tax or fee increase before it can become law. This proposal helps ensure Congress rightfully treats tax and fee increases as an absolute last resort, not as a knee-jerk reaction to fund government waste. Line Item Veto Just like in Florida, a line item veto gives more oversight to the budget process and helps ensure taxpayer dollars are being spent wisely and with the best return on investment. Governor Scott has saved Floridians nearly $2.4 billion by using his line item veto authority to eliminate more than 1,800 pet projects from state budgets over the past seven and a half years. No Budget, No Pay Governor Scott will work to require Congress to pass an annual budget and meet appropriations bill deadlines, or they will be required to forgo their own salaries until the job is done – no budget, no pay. If Florida business owners failed to budget or do their jobs, they would be forced to shut their doors and families would be out of work. It’s not fair that we do not hold government to the same standards we hold ourselves. To further protect tax payer dollars, if Congress does not pass its spending bills on time, an automatic spending freeze should be implemented. Full-Time Salary For Full-Time Work The gridlocks we see every day in Washington show that Congress clearly doesn’t give themselves enough time to get anything done. As a result, Congress often fails to secure results for the Americans they serve, and frequently rushes to complete its most basic legislative work, even by voting on bills without reading them. Governor Scott will work to require Congress to put in full-time work for a full-time salary, just like hard working Americans across the country. End Government Waste Taxpayers deserve transparency and accountability when it comes to spending their hard-earned dollars. Eliminating the concept of omnibus bills, which can total thousands of pages and trillions of dollars in spending, is an important step to increase transparency and deliberation in Congress – and put our nation on the path to responsible spending. Improve Transparency And Accountability While Congress needs to stop the growth of federal spending, it also needs the best advice it can get in doing so. Unfortunately, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Congress’ non-partisan scorekeeper, does not always fulfill its duty to act in an open and transparent manner when analyzing legislation. Governor Scott’s proposal includes reforming the Congressional Budget Office to improve transparency and accountability. Stop Congress Members From Cashing In As Lobbyists Congress should not serve as a training ground for future lobbyists. Governor Scott will work to end the revolving door by proposing to ban former Members of Congress from lobbying outright – or at the very least, extending the “cooling off” period for Members of Congress to work as lobbyists to a minimum of 10 years. End Congressional Pay Raises And Pensions Congressional members should not have the ability to vote for their own pay raises – especially since every dollar is at the taxpayer’s expense. Governor Scott will work to require that salaries for Congressional members remain locked in from the day they are elected until the day their term ends. Furthermore, serving in Congress should not be a career – and Governor Scott will work to ensure taxpayers no longer have to foot the pension bill for Members of Congress. Stop Unfair Big Government-Run Insurance Subsidies Currently, members of Congress receive insurance subsidies that can total well into the five figures on top of their generous pay. This is unacceptable and Governor Scott will work to stop this unfair and unethical practice.	”
—Scott for Florida

Campaign advertisements

The following is an ad from Scott's 2018 election campaign.

"Results" - Scott campaign ad, released May 1, 2018

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Rick Scott campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	U.S. Senate Florida	Won general	$46,570,584	$47,232,824
2018	U.S. Senate Florida	Won general	$85,231,716	$83,771,112
2014	Governor of Florida	Won	$16,946,353	N/A**
2010	Governor of Florida	Won	$67,488,953	N/A**
Grand total			$216,237,606	$131,003,937
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Notable endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section displays endorsements this individual made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope.

Notable candidate endorsements by Rick Scott

Endorsee	Election	Stage	Outcome
Nick Primrose  source  (R)	Florida House of Representatives District 18 (2024)		Lost Primary
Donald Trump  source  (Conservative Party, R)	President of the United States (2024)	Primary	Won General
Laurel Lee  source  (R)	U.S. House Florida District 15 (2024)	Primary	Won General
Mike Haridopolos  source  (R)	U.S. House Florida District 8 (2024)	Primary	Won General
Donald Trump  source  (R)	President of the United States (2016)	Primary	Won General

Notable ballot measure endorsements by Rick Scott

Measure	Position	Outcome
Florida Amendment 3, Marijuana Legalization Initiative (2024)  source	Oppose	Defeated
Florida Amendment 4, Right to Abortion Initiative (2024)  source	Oppose	Defeated

Issues

Stance on Syrian refugee resettlement

Main article: U.S. governors and their responses to Syrian refugees

Following the Paris terrorist attacks on November 13, 2015, in which members of the Islamic State (ISIS) killed at least 129 people and wounded more than 350, reports surfaced showing that one of the terrorists responsible for the attacks in Paris may have come to France posing as a Syrian refugee. Many governors issued statements of support or opposition to President Obama’s plan to allow 10,000 new Syrian refugees into the United States. Scott opposed the resettlement of Syrian refugees in the state of Florida. Scott urged Congress "to take immediate and aggressive action" to prevent President Barack Obama and his administration from using federal tax dollars to fund the relocation of 425 Syrian refugees to Florida.

Response to the 2014 illegal immigration surge

See also: 2014 illegal immigration surge

In response to the 2014 illegal immigration surge, Scott wrote a letter to Sylvia Mathews Burwell, Health and Human Services secretary. Scott complained about the lack of a system of notification to communities in place for when immigrants were placed there with sponsors or relatives.

Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act

On February 20, 2013, Scott joined a group of Republican governors who agreed to support Medicaid expansion as outlined under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. The federal healthcare bill was passed in March 2010, opposed by many Republican elected officials, including Scott, who participated in a legal effort to have the law overturned by the Supreme Court. The challenge was led by Scott's executive branch colleague, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi. When the Court ultimately upheld Obamacare on June 28, 2012, Scott expressed his commitment to oppose optional provisions such as expanding Florida's Medicaid rolls. After the Obama administration announced that it would approve a plan to put 3.5 million Florida patients into managed care plans under a federal action waiver, Scott agreed to a three-year trial period for expansion, during which the federal government would absorb the costs of adding 1 million low-income Florida residents to the state's Medicaid rolls. "Three years is a reasonable period to judge just how well the expansion is working and to explore further reforms to improve cost, quality and access in health care -- both in the public and private markets."

In Scott's appeal to the Republican-dominated Florida legislature to consent to a three-year trial expansion, he pointed to the estimated $26 billion in federal funding Florida could receive in the next 10 years under the expansion. He also cited the significant portion of uninsured Florida residents who stood to become eligible for Medicaid under the new requirements. Reversing his position on the expansion "is not a white flag of surrender to government-run health care," Scott stated.

Job creation ranking

A June 2013 analysis by The Business Journals ranked 45 governors based on the annual private sector growth rate in all 50 states using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Scott was ranked number 12. The five governors omitted from the analysis all assumed office in 2013.

Noteworthy events

Electoral vote certification on January 6-7, 2021

See also: Counting of electoral votes (January 6-7, 2021)

Congress convened a joint session on January 6-7, 2021, to count electoral votes by state and confirm the results of the 2020 presidential election. Scott voted against certifying the electoral votes from Pennsylvania. The Senate rejected the objection by a vote of 7-92.

Gov. Rick Scott and Chris King on Florida's economy

November 29, 2017: In a campaign video, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Chris King characterized Florida as being "at the back of the pack" in major economic indicators, but Gov. Rick Scott and members of his administration said the state has flourished under his tenure.
Who is correct about Florida's economy?

Read Ballotpedia's fact check »

Tested positive for coronavirus on November 20, 2020

See also: Government official, politician, and candidate deaths, diagnoses, and quarantines due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020-2021

On November 20, Scott announced he tested positive for COVID-19. Scott announced a self-quarantine on March 12, 2020, following potential contact with a Brazilian delegation member who tested positive for coronavirus.

Coronavirus pandemic
Select a topic from the dropdown below to learn more. Political responses overviewState reopening plansDocumenting America's Path to RecoveryElection changesChanges to vote-by-mail and absentee voting proceduresFederal responsesState responsesState executive ordersStay-at-home ordersMultistate agreementsNon-governmental reopening plansEvictions and foreclosures policiesTravel restrictionsEnacted state legislationState legislative session changesSchool closuresState court closuresInmate releasesLocal government responsesDiagnosed or quarantined politiciansBallot measure changesArguments about government responsesThe 1918 influenza pandemicPandemic Response Accountability CommitteeUnemployment filingsLawsuitsBallotpedia's polling on the coronavirus pandemicSubmit

COVID-19, also known as coronavirus disease 2019, is the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The first confirmed case of the disease in the United States was announced on January 21, 2020. For more of Ballotpedia's coverage of the coronavirus impact on political and civic life, click here.

Reassignment of death penalty cases from Prosecutor Aramis Ayala

During a March 16, 2017, news conference, 9th Circuit Court Prosecutor Aramis Ayala announced that she would not seek the death penalty in any cases she was responsible for prosecuting during her time in office, citing the costliness of death penalty proceedings and arguing that there was no evidence that capital punishment decreases crime rates. Ayala made the announcement while she was in the midst of prosecuting the high-profile case of Markeith Loyd, who was accused of murdering his pregnant ex-girlfriend and a police officer. Gov. Scott criticized Ayala's announcement, saying, "I completely disagree with State Attorney Ayala's decision and comments and I am asking her to recuse herself immediately from this case. She has made it abundantly clear that she will not fight for justice for Lt. Debra Clayton and our law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line every day." Scott removed Ayala from the case the day of the announcement and appointed a special prosecutor. On March 20, Ayala asked Judge Frederick J. Lauten to temporarily halt the Loyd case while she considered her legal options, arguing that allowing Scott to remove her from the case "would be unprecedented and could undermine the entire justice system in Florida." The case drew commentary from the NAACP, the National Bar Association, and the Florida Legislative Black Caucus, who asked Scott to return the case to Ayala, as well as from a group of Republican state legislators who asked Scott to remove Ayala from office.

On April 3, Gov. Scott issued a series of executive orders to reassign an additional 21 first-degree murder cases from Ayala, saying that "State Attorney Ayala's complete refusal to consider capital punishment for the entirety of her term sends an unacceptable message that she is not interested in considering every available option in the fight for justice. In the interest of justice, I am using my executive authority today to reassign these cases to State Attorney Brad King." On April 11, Ayala filed a lawsuit in federal court against Gov. Scott and State Attorney Brad King as well as a separate legal challenge in front of the Florida Supreme Court asking for a ruling on whether Scott had the authority to reassign the cases. On June 6, the Florida Supreme Court announced that it would hear the case. Oral arguments were heard on June 28, with Scott asserting that he had the authority to reassign criminal cases in the interests of justice and Ayala citing previous statements of Scott's that Florida state attorneys "answer to the voters of their individual jurisdictions."

On August 31, 2017, the court ruled in favor of Scott, finding that the governor did have the authority to reassign cases from Ayala. The 5-2 decision cited Ayala's policy of not considering capital punishment as an option and noted that Scott did not require Brad King to pursue capital punishment when he reassigned the cases. In response to the ruling, Ayala announced that she would establish a panel of seven attorneys to aid her in reviewing cases that could be eligible for capital punishment, and she added that in the future she would pursue capital punishment where the panel deemed it appropriate. On September 1, 2017, Ayala announced the names of the seven attorneys who would serve on the panel, following the announcement with a September 7 motion to dismiss her federal lawsuit against Scott. Ayala's attorney stated that she did not intend to bring further litigation against Scott as long as she was not reassigned from death penalty cases in the future.

Firing of Gerald Bailey

Governor Rick Scott removed Florida Department of Law Enforcement head Gerald Bailey from office on December 16, 2014. On January 28, Scott said that Bailey was asked to step down voluntarily and that he had complied with the request. Scott's advisors told the press in early February 2015 that Bailey had been instructed to prepare Florida Capitol Police Director Rick Swearingen as his replacement for an undisclosed resignation date. Bailey, who had served in the office for eight years, denied the Scott administration's statements, saying, "When the governor's office gives you until 3 o'clock to resign, you're not working out anything with your successor." A Miami Herald profile of Scott advisor Melissa Sellers on February 7 indicated that Sellers pushed for Bailey's removal because of disagreements over Scott's discussions of law enforcement in his 2014 campaign.

Response from cabinet members

The head of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement reports to the governor and three other constitutional officers: the Florida Attorney General, the Florida Commissioner of Agriculture, and the Florida Chief Financial Officer. The three Republican officers did not favor Scott's actions. Attorney General Pam Bondi said that Bailey's removal was handled by Scott's staff without his knowledge and indicated that the state's sunshine laws might have been violated. Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam suggested that Scott worked behind the scenes to add an ally in the department. Putnam and Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater raised these concerns at a February 5 meeting of the governor's cabinet. During this meeting, members noted that there were no available records of their aides' meetings leading up to Bailey's removal.

In their own words

• Pam Bondi: "We all knew there were going to be changes made in the upcoming months, but did I know that Jerry Bailey was going to be told he was fired and have his things packed up, his entire life as a career law enforcement officer in a cardboard box, and be told to be out of the office before the end of the day? Absolutely not. Nor do I believe the governor knew it."

• Adam Putnam: "At best, you would say that there was a great miscommunication, but we were misled as to the timing and the process of how that would be handled. . . . Jerry Bailey's a fine man. He served our state very well, and the way he was treated at the end of his distinguished career was shabby."

• Jeff Atwater: "I was not aware of any discontent. There was none between myself and the commissioner. I was not aware of any others. I was not aware of any other friction that existed. To that extent, I have to accept my share of responsibility."

• Rick Scott: "Jerry Bailey was given the opportunity to step down. He did. He was given that opportunity, and then he waited until after Rick Swearingen was confirmed by the entire Cabinet and made his attacks. The attacks against me are absolutely untrue, and they're ridiculous."

Lawsuit

On February 3, 2015, the Florida Society of News Editors, the Associated Press, and attorney Matthew Weidner filed a lawsuit against Scott, Putnam, Atwater, and Bondi alleging violations of the state's open-records laws. The lawsuit said:

“	The governor violated the Sunshine Law by using conduits to engage in polling, discussions, communications and other exchanges with other members of the Cabinet regarding his unilateral decision to force the resignation of the FDLE commissioner and appoint a replacement without any notice to the public, without any opportunity for the public to attend, and without any minutes being taken.	”
—Miami Herald, (2015)

Weidner and the other parties in the lawsuit wanted a state judge to clarify whether open-records laws were broken and to require more transparency around the Scott administration's meetings.

In June 2015, Scott and his cabinet agreed to settle the suit. A mediated deal called for the governor and his staff to change the way they handle public records and appointments. The state also agreed to pay $55,000 in attorney fees.

Personal

Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Scott and his wife, Ann, have three children and live in Naples, Florida. He and Ann were married in 1972; the two met in high school.

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Preceded by Bill Nelson (D)	U.S. Senate Florida 2019-Present	Succeeded by -
Preceded by -	Governor of Florida 2011-2019	Succeeded by Ron DeSantis (R)

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Florida's current delegation to the United States Congress

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Ashley Moody (R)

Rick Scott (R)

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Vacant

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Neal Dunn (R)

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Kat Cammack (R)

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Aaron Bean (R)

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John Rutherford (R)

District 6

Vacant

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Cory Mills (R)

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Mike Haridopolos (R)

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Darren Soto (D)

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Maxwell Frost (D)

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Daniel Webster (R)

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Gus Bilirakis (R)

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Anna Luna (R)

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Kathy Castor (D)

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Laurel Lee (R)

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Vern Buchanan (R)

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Greg Steube (R)

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Scott Franklin (R)

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Byron Donalds (R)

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Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D)

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Brian Mast (R)

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Lois Frankel (D)

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Jared Moskowitz (D)

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Frederica Wilson (D)

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Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D)

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Mario Diaz-Balart (R)

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Maria Elvira Salazar (R)

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Carlos Gimenez (R)

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