Challenger to Rick Scott drops out of Florida Senate race

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The field running for U.S. Senate is getting a bit smaller.

Navy veteran Phil Ehr will announce Wednesday morning that he’s exiting the Democratic primary for Senate and instead will challenge incumbent Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.) for Florida’s 28th congressional district.

It’s quite a turnabout for Ehr. He had initially remained in the Senate race even after former Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell decided to also challenge incumbent Sen. Rick Scott in the 2024 elections. Mucarsel-Powell’s Senate run was encouraged by Senate Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

But Ehr, who once ran against GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz in northwest Florida, said his decision to compete for Gimenez's House seat was motivated by what he called the “chaos in the nation’s Capitol” due to the Republican infighting over House speaker that has kept that chamber without a leader for more than two weeks.

“We have in the House of Representatives chaos that is damaging America, chaos that is preventing us from being able to respond overseas,” Ehr told Playbook.

Ehr’s decision to mount a congressional campaign in South Florida was, in part, because he believes Gimenez is vulnerable and for the GOP lawmaker’s support of former President Donald Trump and other Republicans like Gaetz. Gimenez is currently one of the holdouts opposed to the speakership bid of Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio).

Ehr also added that he’s been a Florida resident since 1984, and while in the military he did missions in the area, including rescuing Cuban exiles during the Mariel boatlift. “This place is very familiar to me,” Ehr said.

He plans to announce his candidacy against Gimenez in Miami with Mucarsel-Powell. Mucarsel-Powell, who is endorsing Ehr, lost her congressional seat to Gimenez in the 2020 election.

Federal campaign records show that Gimenez currently has more than $890,000 cash on hand for his re-election campaign. Ehr had raised nearly $700,000 so far and his last Senate report showed he had more than $89,000 cash on hand.

Ehr’s departure gives Mucarsel-Powell one less Democrat to worry about in next year’s primary, although there are still several Democrats — including former Rep. Alan Grayson — in the race. Another potential Democratic candidate is Stanley Campbell, a businessman, former Navy pilot and brother of famed Miami rapper Luther Campbell. A campaign committee for Stanley Campbell was started late last month.

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