Ex-Florida congresswoman to challenge Republican Sen. Rick Scott in a test for the state’s Democrats

By BRENDAN FARRINGTON
Associated Press

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Former Democratic U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell will seek the nomination to challenge Republican Sen. Rick Scott in 2024. Mucarsel-Powell announced her candidacy Tuesday in what will be a test to see if Florida Democrats can fare better during a presidential election in a state that is increasingly Republican. Mucarsel-Powell beat a Republican incumbent to win her only term in Congress in 2018 before losing to Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez in 2020. Scott served two terms as governor, winning both times with less than 50% of the vote. He was elected to the Senate in 2018, beating incumbent Democrat Bill Nelson by about 10,000 votes out of more than 8 million cast.