Senate campaigns halted as Florida’s storm recovery goes on

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Republican Gov. Rick Scott won’t be publicly campaigning in his effort to unseat Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson’s while he focuses on Hurricane Michael recovery, according to a statement by his campaign Monday.

But he still wants to debate Nelson, and he’ll still get plenty of television time in his official role, as he did Monday when he received the praises of President Donald Trump after a helicopter tour of the Panhandle communities affected by the catastrophic storm.

And the same day the campaign said Scott’s public campaigning could stop all the way through the Nov. 6 election, the campaign released a minute-long television ad featuring the father of a student killed in the Parkland high school mass-shooting.

Nelson, too, has ceased campaigning for the moment and has spent all his time in the Panhandle in his official role since Michael landed at Mexico Beach on Wednesday.

“We will engage in campaign activity as appropriate,” said Nelson spokesman Dan McLaughlin. “We will take into account the serious nature of the storm, and Sen. Nelson, as he’s always done, will put Florida first.”

McLaughlin said Nelson doesn’t have any campaign appearances on his schedule.

Scott will be replaced on the trail by his wife, Ann, and others. His absence isn’t necessarily a bad thing for Scott, depending on how recovery in hurricane-struck areas goes over the three weeks before the election.

He will likely receive a tremendous amount of free television time in a state where ads cost well over $1 million dollars a week to run statewide.

After Hurricane Irma struck nearly every part of the state last year, his approval rating went up based on his storm response. Hurricane Michael, though, has a unique set of problems and it could take longer to restore power in a largely Republican area of the state.

A debate between the two on CNN was postponed because of the hurricane, but the Scott campaign said it has agreed to reschedule it for Oct. 25. McLaughlin said he would speak to Nelson about debate plans after he returns from the Panhandle.