A major shake-up in the U.S. Senate race to replace Senator Marco Rubio could be in the works as homebuilder Carlos Beruff will likely enter the 2016 Republican primary race.
Beruff has lost of money, and appears to be ready to spend it, just like Governor Rick Scott did 2010 when he defeated then-Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum to be governor of Florida.Gov. Scott has been loyal and supportive of current Senatorial candidate Lt. Governor Carlos Lopez-Cantera, but if that is the case, why is his team of consultants backing Beruff?
The Bradenton Herald has this:
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Completing this poll grants you access to Shark Tank updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to this site's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.If Beruff gets in, Matt Parker would serve as his campaign manager. Parker was Scott’s 2010 field director and served as a consultant on Scott’s 2014 re-election. Also coming over from Scott’s campaigns would be Curt Anderson, who would help with polling, media and strategy, and fundraiser Debbie Alexander.
But why would Scott allow his team to back another candidate, and not ask them to stay neutral?
Considering that Scott has appointed Beruff to several commissions, and Beruff has served on Scott’s transition team, not to mention donated a big pile of loot to his “Let’s get to work” political campaign, how could Scott not have anything to say about his friend’s interest in running for the U.S. Senate?Governor Rick Scott is said to be mulling over a run for the U.S. Senate in 2018.
With that said, the argument can be made that Scott could be trying to clear out Lopez-Cantera in 2016 so that his road to the Republican Senate nomination in 2018 would be that much clearer.
Again, this mere speculation, as Lopez-Cantera would first have to win the primary race against businessman Todd Wilcox and U.S. Reps. David Jolly and Ron DeSantis.
DeSantis’ press shop dinged Beruff’s possible candidacy by pointing out how he donated “thousands of dollars to liberal Charlie Crist over conservative Marco Rubio.”
“The last thing the United States Senate needs is another Charlie Crist Republican…Carlos Beruff gave thousands of dollars to liberal Charlie Crist over conservative Marco Rubio, even after Crist embraced Obama and his wasteful $800 billion stimulus bill. Even worse, he said he’d stick by Charlie Crist for this very Senate seat whether Crist ran as a Republican or not. It’s a free country, but if Carlos enters the race for Senate, he’ll soon find out the same way his friend Charlie Crist did that grassroots Florida conservatives have long memories.” -Team DeSantis
If Beruff gets in, which is highly likely, expect him to attempt to mount a media-blitzing campaign like the one Governor Rick Scott launched when he first ran for Governor back in 2010.
Let the games begin.
