Florida senators keep their powder dry in Trump-DeSantis fight

[Geee]

The Hill

Florida’s two Republican senators are staying out of the emerging 2024 GOP presidential primary for now, even as a growing number of their state’s Republican House delegation are lining up behind former President Donald Trump.

The silence from Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) underscores the tightrope two of Florida’s most prominent Republicans will have to walk as the rivalry between Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis continues to heat up. 

Republican strategists and operatives say there’s little benefit for either man to get involved in the nascent presidential primary just yet. Rubio already has preexisting alliances with other 2024 contenders, like Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), while Rick Scott is facing reelection next year, meaning he’ll likely be on the ballot with the eventual nominee, regardless of who it is.

“I think both of them would like to take their time,” Ford O’Connell, a Republican strategist, said. “And there’s no pressure to do anything right now. They can feel things out on their own.”

It’s still exceedingly early in the 2024 nomination process. DeSantis is still weeks away, at least, from formally launching a White House bid, the first Republican presidential debate isn’t until August, and the Iowa caucuses are more than nine months out. :snip: