Florida lieutenant governor enters crowded race to replace Rubio

Florida Lt. Gov. Carlos López-Cantera (R) on Wednesday joined the increasingly crowded field of Republican candidates seeking to replace Marco Rubio (R) in the Senate.

{mosads}In a Web video, López-Cantera pitched himself as a Washington outsider.

“I’m running for U.S. Senate so that your kids and mine can continue to live the in the kind of country that gave my family the blessings of liberty and freedom that only America offers,” he said. “Now, I don’t have to tell you that both parties in Washington have lost sight of that idea. Like you, I still believe in the America that Washington has forgotten, and I’m running because I want to work for you, to be part of the solution.”

In 2014, López-Cantera became Florida’s first Hispanic lieutenant governor. He was on the ticket with Gov. Rick Scott (R), who secured a second term in office last year by edging former Republican Gov. Charlie Crist, who is now a Democrat.

The GOP field to replace Rubio, who is passing on a second term in the Senate for a White House bid, is expanding quickly.

Rep. Ron DeSantis (Fla.), a veteran of the Iraq War, is running with the support of several fiscally conservative outside groups. Last week, another combat veteran, Todd Wilcox, also joined the race.

Florida Reps. David Jolly and Jeff Miller are also mulling bids and expected to get in the race soon.

Democrats took a swipe at the newly elected López-Cantera for running for higher office just months into his new job.

“Carlos López-Cantera is a career politician who doesn’t do his job and routinely stands with special interests instead of Florida families,” said Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) spokesman Justin Barasky. “With his entrance into the race, Republicans in Florida and Washington are forced to endure a primary battle that promises to be ugly, divisive and damaging to their already tenuous hold on this seat.”

López-Cantera acknowledged the difficult fight ahead of him.

“There will be a lot of people in this race who promise a lot of things, but my conservative record in Florida is more than a promise. It shows that I’ll fight and win for you even when the odds are long and the fights are hard,” he said. “That’s the kind of leadership I’ll bring to the U.S. Senate.”

Establishment Democrats and the DSCC have lined up behind Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-Fla.). He faces a challenge from Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.), a liberal firebrand who many Democrats had hoped would stay on the sidelines.

“Democrats have a strong candidate in Patrick Murphy who is running a great campaign, and we are confident that we will flip this seat to Democratic control in 2016,” Barasky said.