Republican Gov. Rick Scott appears ready to jump into Florida's Senate race, setting up a high-profile showdown against incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson.
A top Scott aide, Jackie Schutz Zeckman, resigned as the governor's chief of staff over the weekend and says Scott will make a "major announcement" on April 9.
Reports suggest that Scott has tapped Zeckman — who has held official and campaign jobs for Scott since 2011 — to be his chief of staff beginning July 1.
Scott has been mulling a run against Nelson for more than a year, ramping up his criticism of the three-term incumbent.
President Donald Trump has already publicly encouraged Scott to run.
Nelson has said he is running for another term. He was first elected to the Senate in 2000.