The race to fill the Senate seat being left by Marco Rubio is getting more crowded.
On Monday, Manatee County builder, Carlos Beruff, announced he is running for the U.S. Senate seat.
“We have to take Washington back folks,” said Beruff to a crowd of supporters outside of the Medallion Home headquarters in Sarasota. “We have to stop the career politicians who put their interest and the special interest of others ahead of yours.”
Beruff has never ran for office before and has only sat on some appointed boards overseeing the State College of Florida and the Southwest Florida Water Management District.
The successful home builder said he’s ready for the challenge.
“And that is what Washington needs,” said Beruff. “People who get up in the morning, go to work and do something besides just talk pretty.”
His supporters agree.
“We need people who know how to get things done in Washington D.C.,” said Jonathan Bruce. “We’ve had enough of bureaucracy and red tape and the creep into socialism that we’re going through in this country. It’s just frightening.”
The stop in Sarasota was Beruff’s fourth campaign stop of the day. He started in Miami in the morning, and then went to Jacksonville and Orlando.
He said he was happy to be home talking to friends and more.
“To be here, you guys all know me,” said Beruff.
Beruff will face GOP Congressman Ron DeSantis, Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera and businessman Todd Wilcox on the Republican side.
On the Democratic side, the two major candidates are Congressman Alan Grayson and Patrick Murphy.