Talahassee – Gov. Ron DeSantis is once again in position to make an influential political appointment in news reports that Florida Lt. Col. Janet Nunez could resign on Friday to become interim president of Florida International University – Governor’s Field in 2026 Who Can Shake the Republican Party.
DeSantis, who is scheduled to retire in January 2027 and is scheduled to retire, has yet to say who he thinks is his heir. At least three prominent Republicans are already known to be considering running the governor, but last week he received support from his political committee to “a strong conservative governor candidate.” No one enjoys a particularly warm relationship with DeSantis, who said he was planning to elect.
While Florida’s lieutenant governor has historically not played an influential role in Florida politics, among lawmakers, lobbyists and strategists, Desantis’ choice has become the race of a competitive governor for everyone. There is growing speculation that a mix of things could become a prominent player. 2026.
Who will Desantis choose?
DeSantis could potentially choose someone who is politically lockstepping along with him. His trajectory of potential options is small – and it is unclear how fast he will move to choose the next EU General Governor.
The early list of candidates includes former Republican House Speaker Jose Oliva, a stubborn conservative in Miami Lakes who has worked with DeSantis for a long time, and DeSantis was supported when he first ran in 2022. This includes Senator Jay Collins, who was the one who was there. One of his biggest legislative allies. Another name is Richard Corcoran. Richard Corcoran is another former House Speaker of the House of Representatives, who DeSantis has appointed president of New College in Florida.
Desantis can also choose to remain empty for a long period of time, a decision that may have political advantages. The Florida Constitution requires that there be a lieutenant governor, but does not outline the timeline for when you have to choose.
If there are vacant seats in the governor’s office and the Naka EU office, the attorney general will become governor.
The last time Florida had a seat vacant for the Lieutenant Governor was in 2013 at the time Gov. Rick Scott had been waiting for 308 days in place of Lt. Col. Jennifer Carroll, who resigned amid the game scandal. Scott ended up choosing former Miami Rep. Carlos Lopez Cantera.
Governor’s race
Whether Desantis has chosen a preferred successor as the next lieutenant governor, he will inject another personality into the race that will attract attention for his open seat.
US Rep. Byron Donald, agricultural commissioner Wilton Simpson and former US Rep. Matt Gaetz are already pondering their campaign. None of the three Republicans are particularly close to the governor. (Casey DeSantis, the governor’s wife and former television personality well known to Florida voters, is never counted.)
Gaetz, once a key agent for the governor in the early days of his administration, became a critic in the Republican presidential primary as DeSantis tried to defeat Trump as the GOP presidential candidate.
Donald also disputed the bill that DeSantis stripped the GOP and Republican legislative leaders of much of the governor’s oversight authority over immigrants, and gave it to the agricultural commissioners, and gave it to the agricultural commissioners. Donald said the governor should have supported Trump through DeSantis in the presidential primary. You can maintain that.
“It’s one aspect of the bill, and this is what the governor is right in my opinion, the police have power around immigrant emperors. Not only in Florida, but in every state,” he said on one side. Donald, who had less public support than the other, said last week on a PBD podcast.
As a result of this same immigration bill, DeSantis and Simpson clashed openly. This is the latest feud between the two Republican leaders. At one point, DeSantis said at a press conference that the only reason Simpson was elected to the statewide Agricultural Commission was because DeSantis was at the top of the ticket.
Donald, Getz and Simpson all have connections with Trump. Trump was able to tip the contest with approval. Trump won Florida nearly 15 points in 2024, and he is functionally the head of the Florida Republican Party. (One of the benefits of waiting to choose a new Li’s governor is that DeSantis will first know if Trump will support him in the race.)
Ben Galbraith, a Republican poll that voted for the company on Wednesday, found Donald in the atmosphere in a four-way race with Simpson, Nunez and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez. The results have been announced. For the governor. Galbrath found that Donalds netted 31% support, but the other candidates hadn’t reached 5%.
On social media site X, Galbraith spoke about DeSantis, whom he has approved in the race, questioning whether DeSantis is behind a candidate who runs to someone supported by Trump, saying, “The party’s ‘DeSantis Wing’ is in fact It’s different.” Playing wing. ”
“It’s unlikely that DeSantis wants to close his tenure with a losing battle to choose a successor,” Galbraith said. “He might be off the race completely. I know!”
