A big part of Rubio’s electoral success is his South Florida, Hispanic roots – something Scott does not possess. Thus, he’ll have to adopt a different strategy than Rubio and campaign more in the lower, more liberal part of the state.
Scott has historically done well with Hispanics, at least compared to other Republicans, but not as well as Rubio. To succeed against Nelson, Scott will have to appear as though he has the whole package – a fiscal hawk when he needs to be, but generous where he can be.
In a booming economy, he’ll have to sell South Floridians on a message of lower taxes and fiscal conservatism, but also some welfare.
The governor’s budget, which is usually just a political statement given that the legislature is in charge of budgeting the state, accomplishes that for Scott.
A pro-environmental, pro-teacher and pro-state-workers budget will help Scott sway voters that he could not grasp before, and give him a solid opportunity to expand his record. This way, he can hope to peel off even some of Nelson’s base.
