Incumbent Republican Rick Scott is being challenged for reelection to the U.S. Senate by Democrat Debbie Mucarsel-Powell. Also running are a Libertarian Party of Florida candidate, two No Party Affiliation candidates, and a Write-In candidate.
The most recent polling from RealClearPolitics shows Scott leading Mucarsel-Powell by 5.7 percentage points. The other contenders are not polled.
In this post, you will find the following information to help you learn more about the candidates:
- Bios and key issues
- Websites and social media
- In the news
- Campaign finances
Rick Scott (Republican)
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 of his own wealth 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.
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
- Sen. Rick Scott wins Florida GOP primary, will face Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, Associated Press via nbcmiami.com, 8/20/24
- 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 many 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
Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (Democrat)
Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, 53, came to the U.S. from South America at a young age with her mother and sisters, “fleeing violence and searching for a better life.” She lost her father to gun violence when she was 24 and has been a lifelong advocate for reducing crime and keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals.
She earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Pitzer College and a Master of Arts in international political economy from Claremont Graduate University, both in California.
Mucarsel-Powell worked for non-profits before embarking on a career as an academic administrator. She was the development director at Florida International University (FIU) from 2003 to 2007, then held top roles at FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, including associate dean.
In 2018, she became the first South American-born immigrant to serve in the U.S. Congress. She represented Florida’s 26th Congressional District (southern Miami-Dade County and the Florida Keys) for one term but was defeated for reelection in 2020, one of 15 seats flipped to Republican that year. After losing reelection, she had a consulting firm where she advised Roseman University of Health Sciences on how to set up a medical school.
Key Issues
According to her website, Mucarsel-Powell’s key issues are reducing high costs and inflation, protecting social security and Medicare, reducing costs and the price of medication, protecting clean water and our environment, keeping our communities and kids safe, putting national security & democracy first, and protecting women’s rights to healthcare and abortion.
For how Mucarsell-Powell is rated on issues by various interest groups, see VoteSmart’s Ratings & Endorsements.
In the News
- Mucarsel-Powell closes gap in Senate race, challenges Scott to Spanish debate, local10.com, 8/27/24
- Exclusive: Rick Scott challenger launches radio ad blitz to reach Latino voters, Axios Tampa Bay, 8/7/24
- IVF wars continue in race between Rick Scott, Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, Florida Politics, 7/25/24
- Florida Democratic Senate candidate sees VP Harris buzz impact, News Channel 8 wfla.com, 7/24/24
- Abortion discussed as Debbie Mucarsel-Powell campaigns for US Senate in Tallahassee, Tallahassee Democrat, 7/9/24
- Debbie who? Poll reveals Democrat facing FL Sen. Rick Scott is starting with a big hurdle., USA Today, 4/14/24
Endorsements
Mucarel-Powell is endorsed by several elected officials and advocacy organizations, including Congresswomen Val Demings, Kathy Castor, and Debbie Wasserman-Schultz; State Senators Shevrin Jones, Jason Pizzo, and Tina Polsky; State Representative Anna Eskamani; Brady PAC, Emily’s List, Giffords Courage to Fight Gun Violence, the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, SEIU Florida, and many more.
Websites and Social Media
Feena Bonoan (Libertarian)
Feena Bonoan, age 39, was born in Sarasota, Florida, raised in North Carolina, and served a 10-year career in the U.S. Navy as an Aegis computer network technician, a position that required security clearance. While in the Navy, she earned several certificates in computer networking and electronic engineering. In 2020, after leaving the Navy, she earned a B.A. in film/cinema/video studies from Hawaii Pacific University, where she was involved in the Student Veterans Association and the Hawaii Veterans Cannabis Alliance.
Bonoan ran unsuccessfully as a Libertarian Party candidate for the Hawaii State Senate in 2020 and for the U.S. Senate from Hawaii in 2022.
She now lives in Hallandale, FL, and is retired.
Key Issues
Bonoan says the top three issues in this race are the economy, freedom, and government corruption/lack of transparency. (News4Jax.com)
Her website details her positions on 12 policy issues.
In the News
- Libertarian, Navy Veteran Qualifies for U.S. Senate Race in Florida, Challenges Rick Scott, West Orlando News, 5/11/24
- Backers of Amendment 3 pitch recreational marijuana for military veterans, Action News Jax, 4/24/24
- Candidate Q&A: U.S. Senate — Feena Bonoan, Honolulu Civil Beat, 10/3/22
Websites and Social Media
Ben Everidge (NPA)
Ben Everidge, age 66, describes himself as “a seasoned executive philanthropreneur richly experienced in generating transformational public-private-philanthropic partnerships, engaging ultra-high-net-worth fundraising, compelling story-related marketing, and strategic government relations.”
He earned a Bachelor’s degree in International Studies from American University and a Master’s degree in American Government from Georgetown University.
His extensive career began with 11 years in professional and campaign staff positions in the U.S. Congress, working for then-Senator Lawton Chiles, then-Representative Bill Nelson, and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and on 25+ political campaigns.
Following a one-year term as a University Fellow at Georgetown University, he began a second career in development and major donor cultivation. For over three decades, he worked in the private sector, raising funds for “wonderful, compelling charities that make a big difference in people’s lives.” (Ballotpedia Survey)
Since 2006, he has also been Managing Partner and Executive Senior Fellow with Cannon & Caius, a strategic collaborations consulting practice.
Key Issues
Everidge says the top three issues in this race are protecting democracy, protecting Florida, and fixing our economy. (News4Jax.com)
Read about his issues and “what I am for” on his website.
Read his responses to the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
In the News
- Independent Florida Senate Candidate Wants to Preserve Vanishing Middle Class, West Orlando News, 8/11/24
- US Senate Candidate Everidge Promoting a New Independent Party – The 21st Century Democratic-Republican Party
- Everidge Says It May Be Time for the Federal Government to Manage the Home Insurance Price Crisis, News Release, 7/1/24
- Everidge Says Comprehensive Immigration Reform with a Logical Path to Citizenship, Not Amnesty for Illegals, is Essential, News Release, 6/25/24
- An Independent Perspective on the GOP’s Tax Cuts for the Wealthy & Big Corporations, News Release, 6/10/24
- Independent Candidate Runs for U.S. Senate in Florida, West Orlando News, 6/1/24
Websites and Social Media
Tuan “TQ” Nguyen (NPA)
Tuan “TQ” Nguyen, 59, was born and raised in Vietnam and, after fleeing the communist regime, lived, studied, and worked in several countries before moving to the United States in 1997. He has been a Florida resident since 2003.
The electrical engineer earned a B.E.E. from Concordia University (1992), an M.Sc. in Information Technology Management from Creighton University (2002), and an M.Sc. in Global Strategic Communication from Florida Institute of Technology (2019).
After five years at Ericsson Research Canada (Ballotpedia), he worked as a systems engineer, a solutions architect, and a solutions consultant for various employers. Since 2017, he has been the communication/community engagement coordinator for Boat People SOS, a nonprofit organization devoted to Vietnamese-American civic and political activism.
He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate in 2022, receiving 0.2 percent of the votes. (Ballotpedia)
Key Issues
Nguyen says the top three issues in this race are unlawful immigration at the Southern Texas border, supply chain disruptions caused by our adversaries (“Russia, China, and Iran to some extent”), and polarization and divisiveness caused by intensified partisan spirit. (News4Jax.com)
Read about his platform issues (immigration reform, education reform, healthcare reform, and foreign policy) on his website.
Read his responses to the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
In the News
None found.
Websites and Social Media
Howard Knepper (Write-In)
Howard Knepper, 63, was born in Philadelphia, PA, and lives in Miami.
The businessman and “perennial candidate” ran unsuccessfully as a Write-In for the U.S. Senate in 2016, 2018, and 2022. (Florida Division of Elections).
Key Issues
None found.
In the News
- Man with Waynesville ties seeks U.S. Senate seat in Florida, The Mountaineer, 10/12/16
- UCF College Republicans Welcome Howard Knepper, Dwight Young for Debate, KnightNews.com, 4/20/16
Websites and Social Media
- YouTube (videos dated 2016)
- Ballotpedia
- VoteSmart
- Interview, 2022, Know Your Candidate
Other Sources
- News4Jax.com Florida 2024 U.S. Senate Race Voter’s Guide, 7/31/24
- Attack lines form in the Florida Senate race, Politico, 2/23/24
Campaign Finance
Here is a summary of the candidates’ filings to date:
In Closing
I hope you found this information helpful in deciding who to vote for for the U.S. Senate. Thanks for wanting to be a more informed voter.