Rick Scott Wins, Will Face Bill Nelson For Senate Seat In November
Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Outgoing Florida governor Rick Scott has won his primary race, taking the first step on his journey towards what he hopes is a seat in the U.S. Senate.
Scott defeated Roque "Rocky" De La Fuente in Tuesday's Republican primary election.
Now, Scott will face off against Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson, who is seeking a fourth term as a U.S. Senator from Florida.
De La Fuente is a California-based business owner and real estate developer. He was a Reform Party candidate for President of the United States in 2016.
Scott is finishing his second term as Florida governor but couldn't run for re-election due to term limits.
He has received support from President Donald Trump, which is something that has helped many in the GOP win their primary elections.
Scott, a multi-millionaire businessman who once led a major healthcare company that was investigated for Medicare fraud, has maintained that the bulk of his wealth is maintained independently in a blind trust.
But the Republican governor was required to submit a detailed financial disclosure to the U.S. Senate that showed that his family is much richer than Scott has been reporting to state authorities. That disclosure also revealed for the first time the holdings of Ann Scott.
The new filings also showed that both Scott and his wife have invested in companies that are affected by decisions made by state government.
During his three runs for office, Scott has used his wealth to help bankroll his campaigns. Scott in late June reported to state officials that his own net worth was more than $232 million.
While the Senate report he turned in in July does not require exact amounts, it lists that there are at least $170 million worth of assets held by Ann Scott.
Scott, who does not accept a salary and uses a family jet to travel, first built his fortune as the head of the hospital giant Columbia/HCA.
He was forced out of the job amid a federal investigation into fraud. Although Scott was never charged with any wrongdoing, the company paid a then-record $1.7 billion fine for Medicare fraud.
