Senate Majority PAC’s TV air support — the first for Nelson this cycle — comes as he faces his toughest challenge ever from Republican Gov. Rick Scott. | Getty Nelson gets $2.2M in air support from Senate Democrats

MIAMI — The political action committee supporting U.S. Senate Democrats is giving Sen. Bill Nelson a needed boost in a $2.2 million TV ad buy touting his record in office, in the U.S. Army and even his time in space.

Senate Majority PAC’s TV air support — the first for Nelson this cycle — comes as he faces his toughest challenge ever from Republican Gov. Rick Scott. The governor and his allies have spent at least $12 million on TV already, with some of that money devoted to painting the longtime Democrat as too much of a partisan.


But the new 30-second ad, called “Served,” points out that Nelson has long been considered “one of America’s most independent Senators” in addition to having served as a U.S. Army Captain and having flown on the Space Shuttle Columbia (the ad calls him an “astronaut,” although he was technically classified as a “payload specialist” when he blasted off with seven others in 1986).

“When some tried to privatize Social Security and Medicare for millions of Floridians, he stopped them,” the new ad says. “Stopped insurance companies from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions too.”

A low-key senator who’s far-less often in the news when compared to Florida’s junior senator, Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, Nelson has generally favorable approval ratings in most polls but he’s relatively less well known despite his three terms in the U.S. Senate.

Most polls indicate the race between Nelson and Scott is about tied. And insiders from both parties feel the race is shaping up to be a coin toss. Nelson is one of 10 Democrats running for reelection in a state that President Donald Trump won in 2016.

Because of Florida’s size and importance as the nation’s biggest swing state, Florida’s U.S. Senate race also could be one of the most expensive in the country, with some musing it could reach a total of $200 million. For his part, the independently wealthy Scott has spent about $100 million in each of his last two statewide gubernatorial races.

The outside support came at a crucial time for Nelson in the eyes of Florida Democrats.

“Thank God,” said one top Democratic insider. “This should calm some nerves.”

While Scott’s checkbook is intimidating, Senate Majority PAC says Nelson is ready.

“Nelson is not afraid to go toe-to-toe with powerful interests,” said PAC spokesman Chris Hayden.