Florida Republicans John S. Columbus, Keith Gross, and Rick Scott are competing in a closed primary election on August 20 to be their party’s candidate for the U.S. Senate seat held by Scott. The winner will face a Democrat, a Libertarian, two No Party Affiliation candidates, and a write-in in the general election in November.
In This Post
Below, you will find the following information to help you learn more about the candidates:
- Bios and key issues
- Websites and social media
- Endorsements
- In the news
- Campaign finances
In my next post, I will share my research about the Democratic Party candidates.
Rick Scott (incumbent)
Rick Scott, 71, was born in Bloomington, IL, and grew up in Kansas City, MO.
After completing high school, he spent a year in community college before enlisting in the U.S. Navy, where he served for two years. He then pursued his education at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, followed by law school at Southern Methodist University. Upon finishing law school, Scott joined Johnson & Swanson in Dallas, TX, which was the largest law firm in the city at that time.
In 1987, Scott and his partners began acquiring multiple hospitals in the Dallas area. By 1997, their enterprise, Columbia/HCA, had become the largest healthcare provider globally, with annual revenues surpassing $23 billion.
During Scott’s tenure as CEO of Columbia/HCA, a federal investigation led to the company paying $1.7 billion in fines in what the U.S. Department of Justice called the largest health care fraud case in U.S. history. Scott resigned in 1997 as part of the settlement, maintaining that he was unaware of the fraud and was never indicted.
Scott then moved to Naples, Florida, and founded Richard L. Scott Investments, a venture capital firm that is currently inactive.
He was elected the 45th Governor of Florida in 2010 and again in 2014, having spent $150 million on the two gubernatorial campaigns. For highlights of his years as governor, see Wikipedia. Barred by term limits from seeking reelection in 2018, he ran for and was elected to the U.S. Senate, spending $64 million on the campaign. He is now completing his first term.
Rick Scott and his wife, Ann, have been married for 52 years and have two daughters and one granddaughter.
Key Issues
Scott’s campaign website includes a 12-point “Rescue America” plan. Its points are education; color-blind equality; safety and crime; immigration; growth/economy; government reform and debt; fair fraud-free elections; family; gender, life, science; religious liberty and Big Tech; America First; and cutting taxes.
In the News
- Rick Scott Poised to Retain Senate Seat Amid Strong Polls and Fundraising Lead, The Capitolist, 7/23/24
- Economists Debate Rick Scott’s Assertion the Federal Budget Should Be ‘Half Its Size’, Florida Phoenix, 7/22/24 (Note: NewsGuard rating 57/100: Proceed with Caution)
- Scott and Mucarsel-Powell are raring for a fight. They’ll have to win primaries first, Miami Herald, 4/28/24
- US Sen. Rick Scott Spends Multiple Millions on Ads Focused on Florida’s Hispanic Voters, APNews.com, 4/3/24
- Florida Democrats See Scott’s Abortion Stance as Opening in Key Senate Race, Axios.com, 4/29/24
Endorsements
Scott’s website lists endorsements from the Florida Chamber of Commerce, 100+ Florida State lawmakers, the Florida Republican Congressional Delegation, Florida Realtors, AIPAC, (former) President Donald J. Trump, and more.
Websites and Social Media
Other Resources
- Ballotpedia
- Wikipedia
- VoteSmart – Scott’s bio, votes, positions, ratings, speeches, and funding
- Heritage Action Scorecard – How Scott is rated on “the leading conservative scorecard” by an arm of the Heritage Foundation
John S. Columbus
John Columbus, 40, lives in Orlando with his parents. His website contains no biographical information; the following information is from a bio read at the start of a radio show interview he gave in June 2024.
Columbus says he was raised in a God-fearing Christian household and taught to be a strong Republican.
He obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts in theater from the NYU Tisch School of the Arts in 2006. He then toured North America with Monty Python’s Spamalot and spent time in Hollywood, returning to Florida in 2012. There, he worked for Disney World, SeaWorld at Universal Studies, and the Disney Cruise Line; he currently works at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
A self-described active cannabis user, he is a supporter of Florida’s proposed 2024 constitutional amendment 3.
Key Issues
Columbus states his position on 17 policy issues on his website, including Conservation, Education, Immigration, National Security, Election Integrity, and more
In the News
Nothing to report.
Endorsements
Columbus says he has no endorsements. (Oviedo Community News, 7/17/24)
Websites and Social Media
Keith Gross
Keith Gross is a conservative businessman and attorney from Panama City, Florida. Raised by a single mother to have a strong work ethic, he quickly became a successful businessman, starting and investing in businesses across the country. He has an undergraduate degree from Florida State University and a law degree from the University of Montana.
Admitted to the Florida Bar in 2018, he now heads the Gross Law Group in Melbourne, FL. His official biography lists him as a “very wealthy businessman, worth millions,” according to Florida Politics.
In an interview with The Hill, Gross said he supports former President Donald Trump’s claims questioning the validity of the 2020 election and called it a “corrupt process.”
Key Issues
According to Gross’s website, his key issues are immigration, free speech (“on social media, college campuses, and every aspect of public life”), freedom from indoctrination, the budget, the Second Amendment, and homeland security.
In the News
- Sen. Rick Scott’s Republican challenger was once kicked off the ballot in Georgia, NBCnews.com, 10/28/23
- Rick Scott’s GOP Challenger Has Deep Pockets — and Says He’s Willing to Spend, TheHill.com, 9/18/23
- Before Running for Senate, Did Keith Gross Help Run a Maryland Restaurant into the Ground?, Florida Politics, 4/28/23
Endorsements
An online search turned up no endorsements.
Websites and Social Media
Campaign Finance
Here is a summary of the candidates’ filings to date:
Next Steps
If you are a registered Florida Republican, it’s time to decide which of the three candidates to vote for.
If you missed it, please read my post, Planning Ahead, to learn which additional ballot questions I will be researching in the coming weeks.