Former Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell is running to challenge GOP Sen. Rick Scott in Florida, a state where Democrats hope to go on offense in an otherwise challenging election cycle.
“We made history together when I became the first South American immigrant ever elected to Congress,” Mucarsel-Powell, who was born in Ecuador, said in a video announcing her campaign Tuesday. “I’ve already fought guys like Rick Scott and beat them.”
Her entrance into the race could give Democrats a chance to compete in a state where the party hasn’t won a Senate race since 2012. Still, Mucarsel-Powell would face an uphill climb if she becomes her party’s nominee against Scott, a former governor and wealthy hospital group CEO seeking a second term.
