TALHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) — When Gov. Ron DeSantis promoted his latest appointing Attorney General James Usmieire and new Chief Financial Officer Blaze Ingoglia, another seat had to be met: the lieutenant governor who says many are true warriors now.
State Sen. Jay Collins is currently taking on a new role as lieutenant colonel.
One person was killed and two were hospitalized in the Pinellas County Electricity Incident involving a Duke energy contractor.
seats have been available since February 2025 after former lieutenant governor Janet Nunez became president of Florida International University in Miami.
DeSantis said he wants people who are strong in policy and who have records that provide big conservative outcomes.
8 Your side spoke with Senator Collins, when his name just floated for the role. He says it is an absolute privilege to be mentioned, and now he has a new position.
“For a child who grew up in a trailer adopted by my grandparents, and for a child who served the military, that means everything,” Collins said in July. “That’s because that’s what we’re fighting for. A child like me can come out of nowhere, a name, nothing, and throw away your name in the biggest state of Florida. That’s amazing.”
Collins has not only served in the state Senate since 2022, but has also defended our country as a green beret for 23 years.
He was injured during the action, recertified as a green beret with amputated legs, with a long list of military decorations, and was recently rescued and in charge of the Floridians who were left behind in Israel during a conflict with Iran.
“I directed,” DeSantis said. “I allowed it, and I oversaw it. But I did it from Tallahassee. Senator Collins went to Israel. He was in Jordan. He was in these countries during the war.
“We don’t fail,” Collins said. “Because that is Florida’s standard, that’s our way, and that’s my promise to you.
Collins was one of the only state legislators to support DeSantis during this fight in the legislative session.
As political analyst Tara Newsom tells us, the appointment was the setting for Collins to run for governor in 2026.
“I think he really has a long and storied history with DeSantis, and DeSantis is doing his calculus now, and by putting Casey there, I think it shows the arm of support that DeSantis’ team is behind him if Jay Collins wants to run for governor,” Newsmom said.
As the 2026 governor race continues to heat up, the question is will the Republican candidate be DeSantis or Trump’s choice?
“In Florida, having Gov. DeSantis behind him and having the qualifications Jay Collins has is a really strong candidate and I think DeSantis might actually be inching Trump’s nominee in this race,” Newsmu said.
