By: Kayla Pasacreta

Rick Scott, photo via Getty Images — Rick Scott, photo via *Getty Images*

Florida governor Rick Scott (R) has officially announced he will be running for U.S. Senate against Dem incumbent Bill Nelson. Like previous contentious Senate races in Virginia with Ed Gillipse and Alabama with Roy Moore, the race will serve as a test of how being a Trump-Republican fares with voters (Gillipse and Moore both lost). During the election, Scott chaired a super PAC for Trump that raised over $20 million for his presidential campaign.

As time has edged closer to Scott's Senate bid, the governor has slightly distanced himself from Trump, reversing his position of offshore drilling and attempting to make a stand for gun control in the wake of the Parkland mass shooting. When asked if he considers himself a Trump Republican, Scott responded, “I consider myself Rick Scott. I don’t consider myself any type of anything,” Despite Scott's attempts to distance himself from POTUS, Democrats will likely time Scott to Trump and his lack of popularity.

Scott has already raised over a million dollars from his SuperPAC and has been working closely with Republican donors. Scott's Senate race is destined to be a tough one - his opponent is a three term Democratic opponent, and Scott does not enjoy the best favorability among Floridans. Political analysts are projecting this Senate race to be one of the most expensive, and contentious, of the country.

In a video posted to Scott's Instagram page, he explains, "It's time to shake that place up. We don't need another politician in Washington. It's full of politicians, and that's why it's broken." A super PAC headed by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has already responded to Scott's bid, "History has proven that if you want to predict how Rick Scott will act, figure out what will benefit his political career and his bank account," Let the showdown begin!