Rick Scott denies he’s running for president in 2024

Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) denied rumors that he is considering a 2024 presidential bid Thursday, hours after The New York Times published a report making the assertion.

“What’s accurate is I’m running for the Senate, I’m not running for president,” Scott told reporters.

His commitment to another Senate reelection bid would throw out the possibility of a fourth Floridian entering the GOP primary for president alongside President Trump, Gov. Ron DeSantis and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez.

Scott, who served as Florida governor before winning his 2018 Senate election, has made waves in the chamber in the past year, running an opposition campaign to Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), which failed, and amending a spending plan that could automatically sunset federal programs, such as Medicare and Social Security.

For the past two years, Scott led the Senate campaign arm, which brought him criticism after some experts said the GOP underperformed in the midterm elections. 

Scott chose not to meddle in party primaries, allowing less-experienced candidates to reach the general election and even hinted at a 55-seat victory for the party. In reality, Republicans were two seats short of a majority.

The senator has also had some notable feuds with DeSantis, criticizing the current governor for his political battles with Disney and disagreements over abortion policy in the state. His relationship with Trump has remained generally strong, though Scott has avoided questions on whether the former president will get his vote in 2024 amid his legal woes.

Recent primary polls show Trump with a large lead over DeSantis, who ranks second in public support, though DeSantis has gained some ground in recent weeks.