Anticipation continues to build over Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ (R) alleged presidential candidacy. While some Republicans are welcoming the idea, some Republicans and Democrats like Rep. Anna Eskamani are pushing back against it.
Though Republicans are beginning to amass support over changing state law to allow DeSantis to run and keep his position, Rep. Eskamani argues it’s a bad call because “the standard must be held.”
Florida law currently states that no elected official can qualify for a position in office if the official already assumes another position in office. In turn, should Governor DeSantis decide to enter the 2024 Republican primary, he would have to vacate the top post in the state.
This is why both Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried (D) and Florida Rep. Charlie Crist (D) resigned from their offices to seek the gubernatorial position in November.
During an interview with NBC 2 News, Rep. Eskamani chided the thought of the law being changed, and she attributed entertaining the law to “another example of how Florida Republicans will bend over backwards to please Governor DeSantis."
"If we're going to hold ourselves to standards that we must resign in order to run, that standard must be held to Governor DeSantis as well," she added.
However, some lawmakers agree with changing the law, and they comment that Governor DeSantis running for the White House would be an "honor" for Florida. Florida Senate President Kathleen Passidomo (R) welcomes the idea of the Florida Governor running for office, and she would have no problem if the Florida House decides to change the law.
When Crist, then-Republican, was Governor of Florida, it was speculated that Arizona Senator John McCain (R) would choose him as his vice presidential pick, so the law was temporarily suspended. However, the law was put back in place thereafter.
