Rick Scott running to chair Senate GOP campaign arm

Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) is running to chair the Senate Republican campaign arm, a spokesperson for the senator confirmed to The Hill.  

Scott, who joined the Senate in 2019 after serving eight years as Florida’s governor, is so far the only GOP senator known to be running for the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) chairmanship. 

Senate Republicans are poised to hold their leadership elections next week, though which party will control the chamber won’t be clear until Jan. 5 when Georgia will hold two runoff elections. 

Scott, who has deep pockets and ties throughout the party, has long been viewed as interested in helming the NRSC and is viewed as a potential 2024 presidential contender. 

A Washington Post interview in November 2018 noted that when asked about chairing the NRSC Scott “sounded open to it,” while not ruling it in or out. Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) ultimately chaired the NRSC during the 2020 cycle. 

If Scott is elected to chair the Senate campaign arm — Senate leadership elections take place behind closed doors and then are publicly announced — he will oversee a map where at least 21 GOP seats will be up. If GOP Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) wins a runoff election in early July, that would give Republicans 22 seats to defend in November 2022. 

Democrats, by comparison, will only be defending 12 seats.  

Republicans are poised to hold between 50 to 52 Senate seats in January, depending on the outcome of the two Georgia runoffs. 

Republicans who will be up for reelection include Sens. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Rob Portman (Ohio), Ron Johnson (Wis.) and Scott’s fellow Floridian Sen. Marco Rubio.  

Republicans will also be trying to hold onto seats in Pennsylvania and North Carolina. Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) announced last month that he would retire instead of seeking reelection and Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) has previously pledged to retire.