Rick Scott

Rick Scott
Born	Richard Lynn Myers 1 12, 1952
Birthplace	Bloomington, Illinois, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician, businessman, attorney
Known for	45th Governor of Florida, U.S. Senator from Florida, former CEO of Columbia/HCA
Education	Southern Methodist University (J.D.)
Children	2
Website	[https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/ Official site]

Richard Lynn Scott (né Myers; born December 1, 1952) is an American attorney, businessman, politician, and United States Navy veteran who serves as the senior United States senator from Florida. A member of the Republican Party, Scott has occupied his Senate seat since January 2019, having previously served two terms as the 45th governor of Florida from 2011 to 2019. Before entering politics, Scott built a career in health care management, co-founding Columbia Hospital Corporation in 1987, which grew through mergers to become Columbia/HCA, the largest for-profit health care company in the United States. His tenure as chief executive ended in controversy in 1997 when he was pressured to resign amid a federal investigation that ultimately resulted in 14 felony convictions against the company and a $1.7 billion fraud settlement — at the time the largest health care fraud settlement in American history. Scott entered Florida politics in 2010, winning narrow gubernatorial victories in both 2010 and 2014, before transitioning to the U.S. Senate with a close victory over incumbent Bill Nelson in 2018. He won reelection to the Senate in 2024, defeating Democratic nominee Debbie Mucarsel-Powell by a significantly wider margin. Scott became Florida's senior senator in 2025 following the resignation of Marco Rubio, who left the Senate to serve as Secretary of State.

Early Life

Richard Lynn Myers was born on December 1, 1952, in Bloomington, Illinois. He was raised in modest circumstances. His mother, Esther Scott, played a central role in his upbringing. Scott has spoken publicly about growing up in a working-class family, experiences that he later referenced throughout his political career. He took the surname Scott from his adoptive father.

Scott served in the United States Navy, attaining the rank of petty officer third class. His military service formed part of the biographical narrative he would emphasize in subsequent political campaigns, positioning himself as someone who had served his country before entering the private sector and, later, public office.

After completing his military service, Scott pursued higher education and a career in law, which would serve as the foundation for his eventual entry into the health care business. His trajectory from a modest upbringing in Illinois through military service to the upper echelons of corporate America and eventually to the highest levels of Florida politics constituted one of the more unusual paths to political power in modern American history.

Education

Scott earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Missouri–Kansas City. He subsequently attended the Dedman School of Law at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, where he obtained his Juris Doctor degree. His legal education led him to practice law, and he became a partner at a law firm before shifting his focus to the health care industry. His legal training proved instrumental in navigating the complex regulatory environment of the American health care system, as he transitioned from practicing attorney to health care executive during the 1980s.

Career

Health Care Business

In 1987, Scott co-founded Columbia Hospital Corporation, entering the rapidly growing for-profit hospital sector. Under his leadership, Columbia pursued an aggressive strategy of acquisitions and mergers. The company merged with another health care corporation to form Columbia/HCA, which grew to become the largest for-profit health care company in the United States. At its peak, Columbia/HCA operated hundreds of hospitals, surgery centers, and home health agencies across the country.

Scott's tenure as chief executive of Columbia/HCA ended abruptly in 1997 when he was pressured to resign amid a federal investigation into the company's billing practices. The United States Department of Justice pursued a major fraud case against Columbia/HCA, alleging that the company had systematically defrauded Medicare, Medicaid, and other federal health care programs. The investigation resulted in 14 felony convictions against the company. Columbia/HCA was ultimately fined $1.7 billion in what was, at the time, the largest health care fraud settlement in United States history.

Scott was not personally charged with criminal wrongdoing, but the scandal surrounding Columbia/HCA would follow him throughout his subsequent political career, becoming a frequent point of attack from political opponents. Following his departure from the company, Scott moved into venture capital and pursued other business interests.

Governor of Florida (2011–2019)

Scott entered Florida politics in 2010, launching a campaign for governor that drew both on his business background and on substantial personal financial resources. In the Republican primary, he faced Bill McCollum, a well-known Florida politician who had served in the U.S. House of Representatives and as state attorney general. The primary was vigorously contested, but Scott prevailed, in large part by spending heavily from his personal fortune on television advertising.

In the general election, Scott faced Democratic nominee Alex Sink, who served as Florida's Chief Financial Officer. The race was closely contested, and Scott won by just over one percentage point, entering office as a political outsider who had never previously held elected office.

Scott's first term as governor was marked by a conservative fiscal agenda. One of his most prominent early decisions was the rejection of federal funding for a high-speed rail project that would have connected Tampa and Orlando. In February 2011, Scott announced that he would turn down approximately $2.4 billion in federal funds allocated for the project, arguing that cost overruns could burden Florida taxpayers. The decision drew significant national attention and criticism from proponents of high-speed rail and public transit investment, while supporters praised it as a fiscally responsible move.

Scott's first lieutenant governor was Jennifer Carroll, who served until 2013. She was succeeded by Carlos Lopez-Cantera, who served as lieutenant governor for the remainder of Scott's time in office.

Scott sought reelection in 2014, facing former governor Charlie Crist, who had switched from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party. The race was once again extremely close, with Scott winning by just over one percentage point. The narrow margins of both his gubernatorial victories reflected the highly competitive nature of Florida politics during this period.

During his tenure as governor, Scott focused on economic issues, including job creation, tax policy, and regulatory reduction. He was barred by term limits from seeking a third consecutive term as governor in 2018.

U.S. Senate

2018 Election

With his gubernatorial tenure concluding, Scott entered the 2018 U.S. Senate race in Florida, challenging three-term incumbent Democratic senator Bill Nelson. The race became one of the most expensive and closely watched Senate contests of the 2018 midterm elections. Scott again invested significant personal resources into his campaign, and the contest attracted substantial national attention given Florida's status as a perennial swing state.

On election night, the results were extremely close, and the margin between Scott and Nelson fell within the threshold for a mandatory recount under Florida law. After a protracted recount process that drew national media coverage and legal challenges from both sides, Scott was declared the winner. Nelson conceded the race, and Scott was sworn in as a U.S. senator on January 8, 2019.

National Republican Senatorial Committee

From January 2021 to January 2023, Scott served as chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), the campaign arm responsible for electing Republican candidates to the U.S. Senate. His tenure as NRSC chair coincided with the 2022 midterm election cycle. During this period, Scott released an 11-point policy plan that attracted attention and some controversy within Republican circles. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell distanced himself from several elements of the plan. Scott was succeeded as NRSC chair by Steve Daines of Montana.

2024 Reelection

Scott ran for reelection to the Senate in 2024, facing Democratic nominee Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, a former U.S. representative. Unlike his previous razor-thin victories, Scott won the 2024 race by a margin of over 12 percentage points, his largest victory in any statewide election. The result reflected both Scott's strengthened position in Florida and broader Republican gains in the state.

Senior Senator Status

In January 2025, Scott became Florida's senior senator following the resignation of Marco Rubio, who left the Senate to serve as United States Secretary of State in the administration of President Donald Trump. Scott's alongside senator became Ashley Moody, who was appointed to fill Rubio's seat.

Senate Committee Work and Legislative Activity

As of January 2025, Scott serves as chair of the Senate Special Committee on Aging. In the Senate, Scott has focused on fiscal conservatism, health care policy, immigration, and government accountability.

In November 2025, Scott introduced the More Affordable Care Act, a bill aimed at modifying the Affordable Care Act with the stated goal of reducing health care costs for consumers.

In February 2026, Scott introduced several pieces of legislation reflecting his policy priorities. He introduced the SNAP Data Transparency and Oversight Act, co-sponsored by Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, which aimed to increase federal oversight of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to address fraud and abuse within the program.

Also in February 2026, Scott introduced the One Nation, One Visa Policy Act, which sought to prohibit nationals of the People's Republic of China from entering U.S. territories without visas under a program established during the Obama administration.

Scott has also been active in fiscal debates within the Republican caucus. In early 2026, he and Senator Mike Lee of Utah called on House Republicans to push back against a Senate-passed funding package and to include voter identification legislation in government spending bills.

Personal Life

Scott resides in Naples, Florida. He has two children. Scott's personal wealth, derived primarily from his career in health care and subsequent business ventures, has been a recurring topic in coverage of his political campaigns. He has repeatedly used his personal fortune to fund his election bids, a factor that has drawn both praise from supporters who characterize him as independent of special interest funding and criticism from opponents who have questioned the influence of personal wealth in electoral politics.

Scott's birth name was Richard Lynn Myers; he later took the surname Scott. He has publicly discussed his upbringing in a working-class household, citing his family's financial struggles as formative experiences that shaped his views on economic policy and government spending.

Recognition

Scott's career has attracted attention for both his business achievements and the controversies associated with them. His role in building Columbia/HCA into the nation's largest for-profit health care company was recognized within the business community, even as the subsequent fraud scandal drew lasting scrutiny.

As governor, Scott's rejection of federal high-speed rail funding in 2011 was one of the most widely discussed gubernatorial decisions of that period, drawing coverage from outlets including The New York Times and CNN.

His 2018 Senate victory over Bill Nelson, which required a mandatory recount, was among the most closely followed Senate races of the cycle. His 2024 reelection, won by a double-digit margin, marked a notable departure from the pattern of narrow victories that had characterized his earlier statewide campaigns and was interpreted by political analysts as evidence of Florida's shift toward the Republican Party.

Scott's service as NRSC chair from 2021 to 2023 placed him in a prominent national party leadership role, though his tenure also generated intra-party debate over the direction of Republican messaging and policy priorities. His biographical information is recorded in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.

Legacy

Scott's political career has been shaped by his unusual trajectory from corporate executive to political figure, a path that has generated both admiration and controversy. The Columbia/HCA fraud case remains one of the largest health care fraud settlements in American history, and Scott's association with it — despite not being personally charged — has been a persistent feature of both media coverage and opposition campaigns throughout his time in public life.

As governor of Florida for eight years, Scott left a significant mark on the state's fiscal and regulatory landscape. His decisions on issues such as high-speed rail and tax policy reflected a governing philosophy centered on limited government and fiscal restraint. His two terms also coincided with Florida's recovery from the Great Recession, though the extent to which gubernatorial policy contributed to economic trends remains a subject of analysis and debate.

Scott's transition from governor to senator, and his subsequent ascent to the position of Florida's senior senator, places him among the more prominent Florida politicians of the early 21st century. His 2024 reelection victory by a wide margin stood in contrast to his earlier narrow wins and was consistent with a broader trend of Republican electoral strength in Florida during this period.

In the Senate, Scott has positioned himself as a fiscal conservative and a vocal critic of government spending. His legislative activity in areas including health care reform, immigration policy, and government accountability reflects policy interests that have remained consistent throughout his political career. His role as chair of the Senate Special Committee on Aging beginning in 2025 places him in a position of influence over policy affecting older Americans, a particularly significant demographic in Florida.