Key Takeaways:
– There might be a vacant Senate seat in Florida if Sen. Marco Rubio is elected as the Secretary of State.
– Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has multiple options for filling the vacancy, including appointing himself or someone like Lara Trump.
– Lar Trump, daughter-in-law of President-elect Trump, has been named as a potential contender despite her lack of government experience.
Who Gets the Golden Ticket?
There’s some potentially big news coming from Florida. If President-elect Donald Trump’s expected nomination of Sen. Marco Rubio for Secretary of State goes through, this would open a Senate seat in the Sunshine State. Just to give you a bit of context, when a US Senator leaves their post mid-term, it’s up to the state’s Governor to pick someone to hold the position until the next election. In Florida, that responsibility falls to Governor Ron DeSantis.
Governor DeSantis’ Options
Now, DeSantis has a few choices. He could pass on the seat to another Trump family member or hand it to someone within his own team. Senator Rubio, if you didn’t know, won re-election two years ago. His term doesn’t finish until 2028. But if Rubio’s confirmation goes through, Governor DeSantis would need to name someone for the temporary seat, who might decide to run in the 2026 race. The seat will also be up for grabs in the scheduled 2028 vote.
Looking at Past Strategies
To consider his options more clearly, let’s take a peek at past actions by other Governors. Back in 2010, West Virginia’s Governor Joe Manchin didn’t assign the vacant seat to himself, instead naming his legal adviser, who was 36 at the time, for the role. Shortly after, he began his campaign for the position and ended up winning the seat the same year.
As for DeSantis, James Uthmeier, his chief of staff, could be the new caretaker for the Senate role until 2026, paving the way for DeSantis himself to run for the seat in the special 2026 election, which quite conveniently happens to be when his term as Governor concludes.
Other Potential Contenders
DeSantis’ Lt. Governor, Jeanette Nunez, is another contender. There’s also the possibility that DeSantis might have her step up as Governor so he can directly take the Senate seat without waiting until 2026. Speaking of close relationships, there’s even talk that DeSantis could give the seat to his wife, Casey DeSantis, who has long been involved in state government.
A Trump in the Mix?
Interestingly, U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-AL), who is publicly cheering for President-elect Trump’s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, to fill the Florida Senate seat. Lara Trump, before jumping into politics, was a producer for TV’s “Inside Edition.” She not only worked on the Trump 2020 campaign but also spoke at the Trump’s January 6, 2021 Save America rally that preceded the insurrection. She also once considered running for a U.S. Senate seat in North Carolina in 2021. However, she lacks any experience in government.
Finally, as DeSantis weighs his options, one critical question remains: how much say will he actually have in the decision? Talking Points Memo’s Josh Marshall wonders if Rubio’s potential appointment as Secretary of State is a strategic move to enable someone else to get his Senate seat.
As we await official announcements, one thing is clear: the next few weeks could significantly reshape the political landscape in Florida.