Former Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell is running to challenge GOP Sen. Rick Scott in Florida, a state where Democrats hope to go on offense in an otherwise challenging election cycle.
“We made history together when I became the first South American immigrant ever elected to Congress,” Mucarsel-Powell, who was born in Ecuador, said in a video announcing her campaign Tuesday. “I’ve already fought guys like Rick Scott and beat them.”
Her entrance into the race could give Democrats a chance to compete in a state where the party hasn’t won a Senate race since 2012. Still, Mucarsel-Powell would face an uphill climb if she becomes her party’s nominee against Scott, a former governor and wealthy hospital group CEO seeking a second term.
Democrats are optimistic that a strong candidate could put the race on the map. Still, with many incumbents to protect in swing states including West Virginia, Montana and Ohio, it’s not clear what resources the national party will have to direct to states like Florida and Texas, which lean Republican but are competitive. Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales rates the Florida race as Solid Republican.
A recent Global Strategy Group poll conducted on behalf of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee found Scott led Mucarsel-Powell 44 percent to 43 percent, according to the news site Florida Politics. The report said that head-to-head result showed up only after pollsters read respondents “positive profiles” on each candidate.
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