ORLANDO, Fla – A major race on your ballot for the 2024 General Election in Florida is the one for U.S. Senate.
Incumbent Republican Sen. Rick Scott and Democratic candidate Debbie Mucarsel-Powell are both vying for your vote in one of the tightest races this year.
Mucarsel-Powell is a former congresswoman who came to the U.S. from South America with her mother. She has highlighted efforts to lower the cost of health care and immigration reform on the campaign trail.
While visiting Orlando on Tuesday, Mucarsel-Powell and her supporters criticized a comment by a comedian about Puerto Rico at a Madison Square Garden rally this weekend.
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“What we all saw and heard this weekend at Donald Trump’s rally was a pattern of behavior,” said Mucarsel-Powell. “This is a continuation of the extreme and disgusting rhetoric that him and his allies, like Rick Scott, have been pushing.”
Mucarsel-Powell has been traveling around the state to reach voters in the final days of the 2024 campaign season, often visiting college campuses.
“People are coming out to support me in this race because they are done with 14 years of extreme politics for Rick Scott,” she said. “Someone like myself will put the politics aside and work with whomever wants to work wants to work on lowering the cost of living, lowering the insurance rate.”
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Incumbent Rick Scott also visited Central Florida Tuesday when his campaign stopped in Ormond Beach.
“We know open border doesn’t work. We know we’re losing full-time jobs. We know inflation is out of control. We know the world is on fire,” said Scott. “So, that has got to change.”
Scott is seeking a second term after he was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2018. Before that, he served two terms as Governor of Florida from 2011-2019. He has made a 12-point plan to “Rescue America” part of his platform.
Tuesday, he was asked about the comment made at Sunday’s Trump rally in New York.
“It’s a beautiful place. It was a bad joke,” Scott said. “We’ve got a big Puerto Rican population here and I’ve put a lot of effort into helping Puerto Ricans on the island and here.”
The race also reflects the balance of power for the U.S. Senate. Democrats currently hold a 51-49 seat majority.
For Scott’s campaign website, click here.
For Mucarsel-Powell’s campaign website, click here.
Election Day is Nov. 5, but you can vote early. To find an early voting site near you, click here.