Florida Politics’ Honorable Mention for 2025 Politician of the Year: Rick Scott

When U.S. Sen. Rick Scott won his Senate seat in 2018, it appeared at times like a rocky transition. But the Naples Republican arrived in Washington this year fresh off a successful re-election campaign with full GOP control of Washington for the first time in his career.

As a new era of Republican power took hold, Scott headlined the Rescuing the American Dream summit in Washington gathering conservative allies together. He knew then that power often proves fleeting, and that the opportunity to lead could be short.

“Don’t squander it, right?” he told Florida Politics at the time.

Immediately after his largest election win ever in 2024, Scott made an ill-fated run for Minority Leader. But unlike the frosty relationship he had endured with former Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, he built bridges quickly with new Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota. The Republican even spoke at Scott’s summit a few months after that caucus vote.

Meanwhile, Scott also endeared himself with the conservative wing of the GOP caucus. At a second Rescuing Summit of the year, House Freedom Caucus leaders characterized Florida’s senior Senator as a critical conduit in Congress’ upper chamber.

“We’ve had no better partner ever than Senator Rick Scott,” said U.S. Rep. Andy Harris, House Freedom Caucus Chair. “I’ll just tell you our leadership on both sides tries to hide the ball from us. ‘Well,’ we say, ‘what’s the Senate going to do?’ And they tell us what they perceive the Senate is going to do, or what they think they want the Senate to do. But now we have our own inside line to what the Senate’s going to do.”

That led directly to many policies ultimately becoming part of the “Big Beautiful Bill” signed and championed by President Donald Trump.

Meanwhile, Scott, once an anti-establishment disruptor who upended Florida’s political establishment, exerted more influence over state politics than arguably any Republican Governor in state history.

He endorsed fellow Neapolitan Byron Donalds in the Governor’s race, and offered public support into oversight inquiries of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration. Scott also threw his endorsement to DeSantis-appointed U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody, effectively ending chatter that Trump might pick a MAGA alternative to challenge the Plant City Republican.

His next policy goal? Remaking America’s health care system.

Scott’s first major entry into the political arena came as a critic of Democratic President Bill Clinton’s health care proposals in the 1990s. Now, he wants Congress to pass his More Affordable Care Act and reform Democratic President Barack Obama’s signature health care policy.

Scott wants to rework insurance subsidies by instead depositing money in health savings accounts and empowering consumers to spend that on insurance rather than having the federal government fund carriers directly.

“My new bill makes simple fixes to Obamacare that will make a world of difference to American families by making Americans the consumer, not the government, while giving them options and transparency,” Scott announced. “Healthcare.gov and state exchanges continue, protections for pre-existing conditions remain in place, and families who need a safety net have one that works for them.”

Senate Republicans remain torn between multiple health care proposals, but a companion bill supported by U.S. Rep. Aaron Bean, a Fernandina Beach Republican, has gained steam in the House. Should it pass, that could create a healthy legacy for the Governor-turned-lawmaker, maybe in time for the 2028 Presidential Primary cycle.