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Are some Democrats trying to recruit a former Marquette University basketball star to run for the US Senate?

By Tom Kertscher
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YES

Democratic donors in Florida are trying to persuade former National Basketball Association stars Dwyane Wade and Grant Hill to run for a Florida U.S. Senate seat in 2024, NBC News reported May 8, 2023.

Wade, 41, led Marquette University to a Final Four appearance in the National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament in 2003.

He then played for the Miami Heat in 15 of his 17 seasons in the NBA, ending in 2019.

The Florida donors and party operatives are seeking a high-profile candidate to run as a Democrat against Republican Sen. Rick Scott, NBC reported.

Scott, the former governor, was elected to the Senate in 2018. He defeated the incumbent, Democrat Bill Nelson, by 50.1% to 49.9%.

Cook Political Report rates the 2024 race as “likely Republican.”

Wade stated that he and his family moved out of Florida in support of his 15-year-old transgender daughter after state lawmakers pushed to implement anti-LGBTQ laws there.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
NBC News Democratic donors hope to recruit NBA legends Grant Hill and Dwyane Wade to run for Senate in Florida
Encyclopedia Britannica Dwyane Wade
US Senator Rick Scott Rick Scott Senate Biography
New York Times Florida Senate Election Results: Bill Nelson vs. Rick Scott
Cook Political Report 2024 CPR Senate Race Ratings
The Hill Dwyane Wade says his family left Florida because they ‘would not be accepted’ there
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.