Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) discussed who would replace the outgoing Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) in a recent press conference, and for the first time signaled who his choice could be— Representative Kat Cammack (R-FL).
When asked about possibly choosing Rep. Cory Mills, Gov. DeSantis made a strong case for Rep. Cammack, calling her "a fighter" with "a great record."
"Kat Cammack honestly as she's a fighter, she's really really good, really strong .I think she's got a great record.I spoke with her the other day,” said Gov. DeSantis
Remember, Rep. Cammack stayed out of the contentious 2024 Republican Presidential Primary election between GovDeSantis and President Donald Trump by not endorsing in the race. After the primary concluded, Rep. Cammack then expressed her support for the now-President-elect Trump.
The Florida Congresswoman thanked the Governor "for the kind words and consideration," expressing eagerness to "continue to work for Florida in either capacity [as a Representative or a Senator]" in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
"I am always ready to serve the Sunshine State in any capacity that puts us in a stronger position to advance President-elect Trump's America First agenda," Rep. Cammack's post added, stressing that America and Florida "need bold leaders who will fight as constitutional conservatives in both chambers of Congress."
Thank you for the kind words and consideration, @GovRonDeSantis.
I am always ready to serve the Sunshine State in any capacity that puts us in a stronger position to advance President-elect Trump’s America First agenda. Now more than ever, we need bold leaders who will fight as… pic.twitter.com/9MgssEjB3n
— Kat Cammack (@Kat_Cammack) January 13, 2025
As a result, Rep. Cammack said, "I'm eagerly looking forward to President-elect Trump's inauguration on January 20th and the opportunity to roll up my sleeves and continue to work for Florida in either capacity."
Despite his praise for the Florida Congresswoman and Representative Cory Mills (R-FL), Gov. DeSantis also stressed that appointing a member of the House to fill Sen. Rubio's vacant seat leaves the Republicans with a single-vote majority, potentially hindering their ability to help President-elect Donald Trump fulfill his agenda.
"On January 20th, you are going to have 217 [Republicans] to 215 [Democrats], and so when you talk about Cory, the issue would be, 'are you really going to go from 217 to 216? That is a tough, tough thing," the Florida Governor said, further calling the decision-making behind the appointment of a new Senator "a big practical concern."
As a result, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody is considered a strong contender to replace Rubio in the Senate, but there have also been whisperings that State Senator Jay Collins (R) is a possibility. As a matter of fact, Senator Collins is said to be on the very short list to replace Sen. Rubio.
In November, Sen. Collins discussed the opportunity with The Floridian, praising Trump and DeSantis for their leadership.
"On one hand, we have President Trump. He's been incredibly clear from the moment those rounds started popping and hit his ear he has been a changed man. And here in Florida, we have led from the front, and that's Governor DeSantis. We have two incredible leaders here in the state of Florida," Sen/Collins said.
