U.S. Sen. Rick Scott stops in Ocala for speech and community discussion

U.S. Sen. Rick Scott was greeted with a standing ovation from the roughly 100 people who gathered Thursday at the Hilton Garden Inn Hotel in downtown Ocala for a community discussion.

Wearing a Navy baseball cap, a smiling Scott, with hotel owner Danny Gaekwad by his side, shook hands, hugged and waved.

Several years ago, Scott (at the time Florida's governor) was at the hotel's groundbreaking with many other dignitaries.

Ocala Mayor Kent Guinn thanked Scott for being there Thursday and introduced politicians, law enforcement officials and well wishers who were in attendance.

2024 election & voters

Ocala is one of many stops on Scott's 2024 re-election statewide tour, where he has been talking with voters about his candidacy.

According to the local Supervisor of Elections Office website, as of last month, of the 275,363 register voters in Marion County, 129,064 are Republicans, 77,737 are Democrats, 63,125 have no party affiliations and 5,437 are considered other.

Senator speaks and takes questions

Gaekwad, in his remarks, called Scott a friend, a leader and a fighter who's a true champion of the people, the state and the nation.

The developer and businessman said Scott is not in politics to help himself, but to help others grow and reach their potential.

When it was his turn to speak, Scott said Ocala is "a great town." He said Gaekwad is a friend, and when Gaekwad gets involved in a project or any endeavor, he does it with care.

Scott said Ocala and West Palm Beach are two areas that have done the most development in the state. Jobs, he said, are what's needed in any community, and jobs are a great indicator of growth.

As governor, Scott said, he built relationships that have helped get things done. Scott said Florida has a low crime rate and ranks first in higher education. He said it's a state where gridlock is not the norm. That's a big difference with Washington D.C., where Scott said "it's all about politics."

He touched on a number of topics including border security, the need for a sound federal budget and the importance of working hard and standing up for what you believe. He said government cannot give money away without accountability.

"Your voice really does matter," Scott said, adding that the more vocal you are, the better things can be.

Election: The 2024 Senate elections are fast approaching. These are the seats up for re-election.

Scott said some in Washington don't properly care about the budget. He said some will wait until the last minute to pass the federal budget, which in the end is not good for the people.

He said when people, such as him, ask for information about the budget, they're ignored.

The senator took several questions from the audience. The topics ranged from energy, the military, immigration and unemployment. One man said he cannot find people to work and suggested the government have some form of program where visa renewals are tied to the number of hours worked.

Sheriff Billy Woods closed the program by telling everyone that 59 sheriffs, Republicans and Democrats, support Scott because "he pays attention to his community and the state."

Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com or @almillerosb

This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: U.S. Sen. Rick Scott re-election campaign makes Ocala stop