Rick Scott | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Official portrait, 2019 | |
| United States Senator from Florida | |
| Assumed office January 8, 2019 Serving with Marco Rubio | |
| Preceded by | Bill Nelson |
| Chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee | |
| In office January 3, 2021 – January 3, 2023 | |
| Leader | Mitch McConnell |
| Preceded by | Todd Young |
| Succeeded by | Steve Daines |
| 45th Governor of Florida | |
| In office January 4, 2011 – January 7, 2019[a] | |
| Lieutenant | Jennifer Carroll (2011–2013) None (2013–2014) Carlos Lopez-Cantera (2014–2019) |
| Preceded by | Charlie Crist |
| Succeeded by | Ron DeSantis |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Richard Lynn Myers December 1, 1952 Bloomington, Illinois, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence(s) | Naples, Florida, U.S. |
| Education | |
| Signature |  |
| Website | Senate website |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Navy |
| Years of service | c. 1971–1974[2][3] |
| Rank |  Petty Officer Third Class[4] |
| Unit | USS Glover (FF-1098) |
Richard Lynn Scott (né Myers; born December 1, 1952) is an American attorney, businessman, and politician who has been the junior United States senator from Florida since 2019.[5][6] A member of the Republican Party, he served two terms as the 45th governor of Florida from 2011 to 2019.
Scott is a graduate of the University of Missouri–Kansas City and the Dedman School of Law at Southern Methodist University. In 1987, after serving in the United States Navy and becoming a law firm partner, he co-founded Columbia Hospital Corporation. Columbia later merged with another corporation to form Columbia/HCA, which eventually became the nation's largest for-profit health care company.[7] Scott was pressured to resign as chief executive of Columbia/HCA in 1997. During his tenure as chief executive, the company defrauded Medicare, Medicaid, and other federal programs. The Department of Justice won 14 felony convictions against the company, which was fined $1.7 billion in what was at the time the largest healthcare fraud settlement in U.S. history.[8][9] Following his departure from Columbia/HCA, Scott became a venture capitalist and pursued other business interests.
Scott ran for governor of Florida in 2010. He defeated Bill McCollum in a vigorously contested Republican primary election, and then defeated Democratic nominee Alex Sink by just over one point in the general election.[10] Scott was reelected in 2014, again by just over one point, against former governor Charlie Crist. He was barred by term limits from running for reelection in 2018, and instead ran for the Senate.
Scott won the 2018 U.S. Senate election, defeating Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson. The initial election results were so close that they triggered a mandatory recount. The recount showed that Scott had won by 10,033 votes; Nelson then conceded the race. Scott took office following the expiration of his term as governor of Florida on January 8, 2019. He won reelection in 2024, defeating Democratic nominee Debbie Mucarsel-Powell.[11]
- ^ "DeSantis already governor when ceremony begins". Tampa Bay Times. January 5, 2019. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:24was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Summary of Information on Rick Scott". Thepoliticalguide.com. Archived from the original on August 11, 2018. Retrieved May 30, 2011.
- ^ "Oh, if only Florida had a governor who liked businesspeople". Blogs.orlandosentinel.com. Archived from the original on November 4, 2011. Retrieved May 30, 2011.
- ^ "Rick Scott sworn in as Florida's newest U.S. senator". WJXT. January 8, 2019.
- ^ Greenwood, Max (December 4, 2018). "Rick Scott delays Senate swearing-in ceremony". The Hill. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
- ^ "Hospital Corporation of America: Learning from Past Mistakes?" (PDF). Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative, University of New Mexico. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
- ^ Sherman, Amy (March 3, 2014). "Rick Scott 'oversaw the largest Medicare fraud' in U.S. history, Florida Democratic Party says". Politifact. Retrieved April 19, 2018.
- ^ Glorioso, Alexandra; Caputo, Marc (August 30, 2018). "Democrats: Medicare fraud is 'fungus' Scott will never get rid of". Politico. Retrieved October 26, 2018.
- ^ Smith, Ben (April 13, 2010). "Health Care Figure Running for Florida Governor". Politico. Retrieved February 24, 2016.
- ^ Gans, Jared (November 5, 2024). "Scott wins Florida Senate race, fending off Democratic challenge". The Hill. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).