Rick Scott announces plan to unseat Mitch McConnell as the top Republican in the Senate

Sen. Rick Scott told his GOP colleagues he will be running to unseat Mitch McConnell ahead of the party's leadership election, after a lackluster performance in the midterm elections last week.

Scott repeatedly declined to rule out challenging McConnell in recent months, but didn't confirm his intentions until Tuesday during a closed-door GOP lunch. I understand that I won’t gain the support of every member of our Conference, but we all have a clear choice to make. If you simply want to stick with the status quo, don’t vote for me. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has often been re-elected to his post without opposition. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Former President Donald Trump has attacked Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and said he should not remain atop the Senate GOP conference. (Associated Press/Michael Wyke) Tyler Olson is a reporter covering the Senate for Fox News Digital. 

"I’m writing to you today because I believe it’s time for the Senate Republican Conference to be far more bold and resolute than we have been in the past. We must start saying what we are for, not just what we are against," Scott said in a letter to GOP colleagues. "I do not believe we can simply continue to say the Democrats are radical, which they are. Republican voters expect and deserve to know our plan to promote and advance conservative values. "