With Governor Ron DeSantis tasked to appoint a replacement for Senator Marco Rubio after President-elect Donald Trump is sworn into office next January, there is widespread speculation that “America’s Governor” could pick his chief-of-staff James Uthmeier to serve until 2026 or just appoint himself to the post.
One Florida congressman told The Floridian this week that DeSantis “would be crazy not to appoint himself” if he wanted to extend his political career past his governorship.
Tapping himself for the job makes sense.
Or, having his Lt. Governor Jeanette Nunez appoint him also makes sense, but only after he steps down and she becomes acting Governor of Florida.
But outside of Uthmeier or himself, could Gov. DeSantis pick someone outside of his inner circle to replace Sen. Rubio?
Maybe.
One name that is being floated around as a possible replacement for Sen. Rubio is Rep. Cory Mills (R).
A prominent political figure with very close ties to DeSantis world told The Floridian that he felt that if he picked anyone out of his immediate orbit to replace Rubio, it should be someone like Rep. Mills.
“Rep. Mills has proven his loyalty and love for his country, and should be seriously considered by the Governor,” said the politico who asked that we keep her/his name out of this story.
Rep. Mills is a staunch supporter of President Trump and endorsed the former president over DeSantis in the 2024 Republican presidential primary race.
Why would DeSantis pick Rep. Mills to replace Rubio?
Mills’ combat military experience and intelligence background, not to mention his prowess as a businessman, make him a natural choice to be appointed to the Senate or another leadership position.
Rep. Mills’ first term in office showed the national political class that lawmakers really can go above and beyond to serve their fellow Americans and constituents.
Mills, who has praised DeSantis’s leadership, referring to him as the “best governor in America” and “America’s Governor,” has made a heavy lift in helping Americans escape war zones since taking office.
The Floridian broke the story that Mills left a congressional session to fly overnight to Israel, where he helped rescue dozens of Americans trapped in the West Bank and in Israel after the October 7 Hamas terror attack.
Remember, DeSantis also rescued Americans when he assisted in sending flights to bring those stranded in Israel back to the U.S.
Mills also traveled to Haiti to evacuate Americans and recently helped North Carolinians trapped after Hurricane Helene passed through.
Could DeSantis pivot and appoint someone like Mills?
DeSantis has said that he wanted to keep serving as governor of Florida, but has not signaled if he would be interested in becoming a U.S. Senator.
Also, DeSantis once ran for the Senate to replace Rubio back in 2016, so being a sitting U.S. Senator could still be on his mind.
We reached out to both Uthmeier and Mills for comment, but have not heard back from either of them
The Other Senate Seat
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, like Gov. DeSantis, has to appoint someone to the U.S. Senate.
Gov. DeWine will have to fill the seat Sen. JD Vance, who will be the next vice president of the United States.
Rep. Mike Carey (R), another staunch supporter of President Trump, could be natural pick fo Gov. DeWine, and is genuinely open to the appointment.
“I’ve known the governor since I was 12-years-old. And I’ve communicated that I would be honored to serve as a senator for the state of Ohio…I love the state. I will support whoever the governor picks. If I’m fortunate enough to be that person, I would do a good job for the state of Ohio," stated Rep. Carey.
