TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Gov. Rick Scott is finally endorsing a Republican presidential candidate.
After weeks of dodging questions about which candidate he would support, the two-term Republican governor said Wednesday that it's time for all Republicans "to accept and respect the will of the voters and coalesce behind Donald Trump."
Recommended Videos
Scott's endorsement comes one day after Trump handily won all of Florida's 99 delegates in the Republican presidential primary.
"This has been a hard fought primary, with an outstanding roster of excellent candidates, including two of Florida's favorite sons, and several Republican governors who are close friends of mine," Scott said in a post on his official Facebook page. "But the voters are speaking clearly -- they want a businessman outsider who will dramatically shake up the status quo in Washington."
Scott said "the political class and party leaders" opposed him "with great vigor" when he first ran for governor.
"But the voters had other ideas, and they are the only ones who count," Scott said.
(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));
GOVERNOR RICK SCOTT CALLS ON REPUBLICANS TO COME TOGETHER I’m asking all Republicans today to come together and begin...
Posted by Rick Scott on Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Trump, Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz are the only remaining Republicans seeking the nomination after Florida Sen. Marco Rubio suspended his campaign Tuesday night.
The Republican race has become contentious in recent weeks as Cruz and Rubio traded barbs with Trump, who appears poised to win the nomination.
"If we spend another four months tearing each other apart, we will damage our ability to win in November," Scott said. "It's time for an end to the Republican on Republican violence."