Gov. Ron DeSantis is still undecided on who he will pick to fill Marco Rubio's Senate seat, though he plans to make an announcement before President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20.
According to Politico reporter Gary Fineout, Gov. DeSantis will likely wait for Sen. Rubio to resign his seat before he chooses the Florida Republican's replacement. Rubio, who was one of Trump's first cabinet picks for Secretary of State, has yet to announce when he will cede his long-held seat.
"Soon...We'll have somebody by [the inauguration]," DeSantis said at a Tampa press avail, speaking minutes after attending State Attorney Suzy Lopez's swearing-in alongside future U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, one of the names floated as a potential pick for the seat.
“We’ve got a lot of great people in Florida," said Gov. DeSantis
When asked whether the next U.S. Senator was in the room with him—referring to Moody—DeSantis said he wouldn't "referee" who was in and who was out. However, he noted that the next Senator must be "really able to deliver" on immigration issues and ensure visa programs won't "undermine American workers."
DeSantis previously said that he would announce a Rubio replacement by "early January," though that clock is ticking ahead of Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20. Some of the most popular names suggested for the seat include DeSantis himself, Moody, Lieutenant General Jeanette Nunez, or Chief of Staff James Uthmeier.
Others include military leaders like former Green Beret and current state Sen. Jay Collins and Rep. Cory Mills.
Aside from Rubio, other Florida-centric figures drafted into the next Trump administration include Rep. Mike Waltz, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Pam Bondi, Janette Nesheiwat, Dr. Oz, Todd Blanche, Dave Weldon, Taylor Budowich, Jared Isaacman, Jay Bhattacharya, Paul Atkins, Mike Huckabee, Kimberly Guilfoyle, Daniel Newlin, Peter Lamelas, Callista Gingrich, John Arrigo, Kevin Cabrera, Katie Miller, Chad Mizelle, Mauricio Claver-Carone, and Benjamin Leon.
Two of his other potential picks, Rep. Matt Gaetz and Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister, both withdrew from their nominations.
