Obama endorses Mucarsel-Powell: ‘This is your chance, Florida’

Former President Obama endorsed Florida Democratic Senate candidate Debbie Mucarsel-Powell on Friday, becoming the latest national Democrat to get involved in what is expected to be a tight race in the red-leaning state. 

“This is your chance, Florida. Elect a woman who will make your life better and fight for freedoms like the right to choose,” Obama said in a video released exclusively to The Hill. 

The former president highlighted the former congresswoman’s background, noting she grew up under a dictatorship in Ecuador and went “from working in a donut shop for minimum wage to serving in Congress.”

“Debbie’s story isn’t typical, but then, neither was mine. And maybe in this election, that’s exactly what we need,” Obama said. 

Obama weighing in on the race comes as national Democrats increasingly turn to their sights on ousting incumbent Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.). 

Last week, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee announced a multimillion-dollar television advertising investment in Texas and Florida. 

The Hill’s Decision Desk HQ polling average shows Scott leading Mucarsel-Powell by just less than 3 percentage points. But a Napolitan News Service poll released Thursday showed Scott up by 6 points. 

Ousting Scott would be a major upset, given Republicans’ dominance in Florida. While the GOP underperformed in much of the country during the 2022 midterms, Republicans in Florida saw major wins that year. 

Additionally, Scott has a history of pulling off narrow victories going back to his first gubernatorial race in 2010. Scott won his 2018 Senate race by less than a point and his two gubernatorial victories by less than 2 points.