Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.) is expected to launch his bid for Senate on Thursday, sticking a thumb in the eye of establishment Democrats who were hoping Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-Fla.) would have a clear path to the party’s nomination.
Grayson will release a video on Thursday formally announcing his decision. The lawmaker and a campaign spokesman wouldn’t reveal his decision, but he’s widely expected to jump into the race.
Grayson’s entry will frustrate the Democratic establishment in the state, which has lined up behind Murphy, 32, a centrist Democrat and rising star in the party.
{mosads}The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee endorsed Murphy early, and several big-name Democratic senators have donated to his efforts, including Sens. Bill Nelson (Fla.), Dick Durbin (Ill.), Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), Cory Booker (N.J.), Barbara Boxer (Calif.), Ron Wyden (Ore.) and Tom Carper (Del.), among others.
Murphy is already proving to be a strong fundraiser, announcing on Wednesday that he hauled in about $1.4 million, bringing his total cash on hand to $2.5 million.
But Grayson, a liberal firebrand with considerable fundraising prowess and national name recognition, could be a formidable challenger.
He will have the support of progressive activists in the Sunshine State that have been agitating for a challenge to Murphy from the left.
In an interview with The Hill earlier this year, Grayson boasted about his national profile and his fundraising prowess, saying he had over 100,000 individual contributors nationwide and noting he’s raised as much as $5 million in a campaign cycle.
Some Democrats in the state are worried that he’ll bring a sideshow element to the campaign, and that his scorched-earth politics will damage the eventual nominee.
Grayson’s penchant for generating controversial headlines has helped him raise his profile as well as enormous sums of money.
He has made headlines for blasting Republicans as “foot-dragging, knuckle-dragging Neanderthals,” and saying their healthcare plan is “don’t get sick” but “die quickly” if you do.
His personal life has also been in the spotlight.
Grayson is seeking an annulment from his wife on the basis of bigamy, while she has accused him of cutting off financial support to her and their four children.
Recently, the independently wealthy Grayson has drawn scrutiny and criticism from some Democrats over disclosures related to hedge funds he manages.
The battle in the nation’s largest swing-state instantly became a toss-up when Republicans lost Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) to the presidential race.
On the Republican side, Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) is so far the only candidate, but political watchers expect Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.) and Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera to enter the race soon.