Florida Republicans expected to rally around Rick Scott

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - It took 50 million dollars and some questionable attack ads, but multi-millionaire Rick Scott defeated the establishment candidate, leaving a trail of Republicans in his path.

Scott received rebukes from GOP party chairman John Thrasher when he released an ad drawing a connection between the indicted former chairman and Bill McCollum.

When McCollum finally conceded victory, he failed to endorse or even congratulate the Republican nominee.

But Thrasher congratulated Scott and released a statement saying quote: “I’m confident that Republicans across the state will rally around our new nominee.”

A spokeswoman for the party says Thrasher will meet with Scott, Thursday.

“We’re optimistic that the party is going to have great working relationship with the Scott campaign and we are going to work together to beat Alex Sink,” Katie Gordon Betta, a Republican Party of Florida spokeswoman.

Republican strategists say the base will get behind their nominee, but it will be up to Scott to make nice with the party.

“He may choose not to have the healing. Maybe he likes the outsider role. Maybe he does not want the help of the other party regulars who have been in the trenches for a couple of decades,” said Pete Dunbar, a Republican strategist.

Democratic strategist Screven Watson says the infighting bodes well for his party’s nominee, Alex Sink. “I think in the end you are going to have some Republicans that may hold their noses, not go public for Scott and endorse Sink or help Sink.”

Wednesday Sink released an ad focusing on her career in business and her moderate positions. Sink once planned on running as an outsider, but rival Scott now has that ground to himself.

Sink has five million dollars in the bank right now. Scott pumped 50 million of his own dollars into his primary fight. There’s no telling how much more he’s willing to spend in the General Election.