Rick Scott

Rick Scott
Name	Rick Scott
Caption	Official portrait, 2019
Office	United States Senator from Florida
Term start	January 8, 2019
Alongside	Marco Rubio
Predecessor	Bill Nelson
Order2	45th
Office2	Governor of Florida
Term start2	January 4, 2011
Term end2	January 7, 2019
Lieutenant2	Jennifer Carroll, Carlos López-Cantera
Predecessor2	Charlie Crist
Successor2	Ron DeSantis
Birth name	Richard Lynn Scott
Birth date	1 December 1952
Birth place	Bloomington, Illinois, U.S.
Party	Republican (1994–present)
Otherparty	Democratic (before 1994)
Spouse	Frances Annette Holland, 1972
Branch	United States Navy
Serviceyears	1971–1974

Rick Scott is an American politician and businessman serving as the junior United States Senator from Florida since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 45th Governor of Florida from 2011 to 2019. Before entering politics, he co-founded and led Columbia Hospital Corporation, which grew into the Columbia/HCA healthcare company.

Early life and education

Richard Lynn Scott was born in Bloomington, Illinois, and grew up in Kansas City, Missouri, in a family that relied on public assistance. He attended the University of Missouri–Kansas City, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Business administration. During this time, he enlisted in the United States Navy, serving as a Petty officer first class in the Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy. His early career included clerking for a Johnson County probate judge and working for the law firm Spencer Fane Britt & Browne.

Business career

Scott co-founded Columbia Hospital Corporation in 1987 with two partners from the Texas firm Republic Health Corporation. Through aggressive acquisitions, the company merged with Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) in 1994 to form Columbia/HCA, which became the largest private for-profit healthcare company in the United States. Scott served as Chief executive officer until 1997, when he resigned amid a massive federal fraud investigation. The company ultimately pleaded guilty to numerous charges and paid over $1.7 billion in fines. Scott later founded Richard L. Scott Investments, a private equity firm, and served on the boards of several companies, including Cyxtera and Digital Risk.

Political career

After moving to Naples, Florida, Scott entered politics, challenging the state Republican establishment. In 2010, he spent over $70 million of his personal wealth to win the Republican gubernatorial primary against Bill McCollum and the general election against Alex Sink. His campaigns heavily utilized television advertising and focused on themes of job creation and opposition to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. His political committees, including Let's Get to Work and the New Republican PAC, have been significant forces in Florida politics.

Governor of Florida

As governor, Scott prioritized economic development, frequently traveling to recruit companies to Florida and establishing Enterprise Florida. He signed budgets that cut funding for state universities and environmental programs while reducing corporate income taxes. His tenure included the controversial removal of Surgeon General John Armstrong and the dismissal of Gerald Bailey from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Scott also oversaw the state's response to several emergencies, including the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting and Hurricane Irma. He was succeeded by Ron DeSantis.

United States Senate

Scott defeated three-term incumbent Democratic Senator Bill Nelson in the 2018 election. In the Senate, he serves on the Armed Services Committee, the Commerce Committee, the Aging Committee, and the Homeland Security Committee. He chairs the National Republican Senatorial Committee for the 2022 election cycle. In 2022, he released an 11-point "Rescue America" plan that proposed sunsetting all federal legislation every five years.

Political positions

Scott is a fiscal conservative who advocates for term limits for Congress, a balanced-budget amendment, and the repeal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. He supports increased military spending, school choice programs, and restrictions on abortion. He has been a vocal critic of the Biden administration's policies on immigration, economic spending, and relations with China. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he opposed federal vaccine mandates and supported reopening businesses.

Personal life

Scott married Frances Annette Holland in 1972; they have two daughters. He is a member of the United Methodist Church. The Scotts reside in Naples, Florida, and own a condominium in Tallahassee. His personal wealth, estimated at over $200 million, has been a defining feature of his political campaigns. In 2021, he placed his assets in a blind trust managed by a New York City-based investment firm. He is an avid runner and has completed several marathons.

Category:1952 births Category:Living people Category:United States Senators from Florida Category:Governors of Florida Category:American businesspeople