Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) has a decision to make. With Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) accepting President-elect Donald Trump's (R) offer to become his Secretary of State (as he is expected to be confirmed), Gov. DeSantis has the task of replacing the senator's seat. Many names have been floated around, including Representative Byron Donalds (R-FL), DeSantis Chief-of-Staff James Uthmeier, RNC Co-Chair Lara Trump, and First Lady Casey DeSantis.
However, as The Floridian publisher Javier Manjarres concluded, the rational decision for Ron DeSantis is to appoint himself. It would ensure that his political career maintains relevancy, but also a steady cash flow of campaign finances that would be helpful in the future. It also puts him more directly in the limelight to win over or regain the trust of some MAGA folk that he turned off this past election cycle. Senate committee hearings reach a larger audience than governor press conferences.
In a social media post on Monday, the leader of the Sunshine State did not disregard that possibility but shared that he and his staff are undergoing the "preliminary vetting" process and should expect to have an answer by early January.
Senator Marco Rubio is expected to resign from the Senate to assume duties as Secretary of State when the Trump administration takes power on January 20th, creating a vacancy roughly two months from today.
We have already received strong interest from several possible…
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) November 18, 2024
"Senator Marco Rubio is expected to resign from the Senate to assume duties as Secretary of State when the Trump administration takes power on January 20th, creating a vacancy roughly two months from today," began Gov. DeSantis.
He continued, saying he and his staff are still collecting names of possible candidates.
"We have already received strong interest from several possible candidates, and we continue to gather names of additional candidates and conduct preliminary vetting. More extensive vetting and candidate interviews will be conducted over the next few weeks, with a selection likely made by the beginning of January."
Finally, DeSantis shared that Rubio's replacement should reflect the Trump's agenda during the first half of his final term in office.
"Florida deserves a Senator who will help President Trump deliver on his election mandate, be strong on immigration and border security, take on the entrenched bureaucracy and administrative state, reverse the nation’s fiscal decline, be animated by conservative principles, and has a proven record of results," concluded DeSantis.
Should Gov. DeSantis appoint himself, Lt. Governor Jeanette Núñez would take his place for the remainder of his term through 2026.
