By Jim Turner ©2024 The News Service of Florida
TALLAHASSEE — When he returns from a trade mission to Italy, Gov. Ron DeSantis likely will face decisions about picking a successor to U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio and setting a special election to replace U.S. Rep. Mike Waltz.
President-elect Donald Trump has reportedly chosen Rubio, R-Fla., to serve as secretary of state and announced Tuesday that Waltz, R-Fla., will serve as national security adviser.
While an official announcement about Rubio’s selection had not been made Tuesday afternoon, it would lead to a closely watched decision by DeSantis about appointing a U.S. senator for a term that would last until the 2026 election. Also, a special election will be needed to choose a replacement for Waltz in Congressional District 6, which is made up of all or parts of Flagler, Lake, Marion, Putnam, St. Johns and Volusia Counties.
Rubio’s term is scheduled to expire in 2028, but DeSantis’ appointee would serve until an election is held in 2026. Rumors swirled Tuesday about potential appointees, such as Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nunez and Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody. Appointing a current officeholder such as Nunez or Moody would ripple into more changes in state politics.
“I think there’s some names floating around, from the lieutenant governor to the attorney general,” Evan Power, chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, said. “So, you have a couple names floating around. But I think the governor is going to make that decision. And then when those disappear, we’ll have to back-fill those, and the dominoes will take effect.”
Along with Nunez and Moody, early speculation about potential selections included former Florida House Speaker Jose Oliva, U.S. Rep. Laurel Lee and James Uthmeier, DeSantis’ chief of staff.
“Those are some of the big names,” University of Central Florida political science professor Aubrey Jewett said. “Of course, there are possibly many more as Florida has a very deep bench of Republicans these days.”
The most recent time a Florida governor appointed a U.S. senator was in 2009. Then-Gov. Charlie Crist named George LeMieux, his former chief of staff and top political adviser, to complete the term of U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez, who resigned.
Uthmeier played a key role in DeSantis’ failed presidential campaign and chaired two political committees that last week helped defeat proposed constitutional amendments on recreational marijuana and abortion rights. DeSantis spearheaded efforts to defeat the amendments.
Another bit of speculation has been that DeSantis would step down, with Nunez, who would then become governor, appointing him as Rubio’s successor. That would make him the incumbent in the 2026 Senate race.
“Watch DeSantis appoint himself to replace Rubio,” Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, posted on the social media site X.
Jewett said he doesn’t think that scenario is likely, “given that DeSantis still has presidential aspirations and views himself as chief executive material rather than one out of 100 legislators.” DeSantis, who is on the Italy trade mission this week, has two more years left on his term as governor.
Jewett also doesn’t envision First Lady Casey DeSantis getting the Senate nod, though he said “she is quite popular” with the state’s Republican base and she has received mention as a possible 2026 gubernatorial candidate.
Susan MacManus, a retired political science professor at the University of South Florida, said Nunez appears to make the most sense for the U.S. Senate, in part because it would maintain connections with Hispanic women voting for Republicans.
“(Nunez) knows the concerns of Florida very well and how to communicate these issues when they come up in the Senate. She would be well-versed in the policy side of Florida, as well as the demographics,” MacManus said.
As for Waltz’ seat, Power anticipates numerous candidates in the solidly Republican district, with speculation already including names such as Jacksonville City Council member Rory Diamond, state Rep. Chase Tramont, R-Port Orange, and former St. Johns County Sheriff David Shoar.
“I think there’s a number of people who are looking at it. Some county commissioners are looking at it,” Power said.
“I welcome a robust primary. And we’ll be there to defend them in the general (election),” Power added.
Power said he doesn’t anticipate many more of Trump’s appointments coming from Congress, where Republican majorities are thin. But more appointments could come from Florida, as Trump, a Palm Beach County resident, is now associated more with Florida than his native New York.
“The president ran last time as a New Yorker,” Power said. “He’s now completely a Florida guy, with a Florida team and Florida people around him. Lots of his staff was Florida. So, I think there will be a lot of Florida staff along with these appointees.”
Susie Wiles, a Florida resident who was Trump’s senior adviser in this year’s campaign, was named last week as White House chief of staff.
Rubio, who went from challenging Trump in 2016 to being considered a potential running mate this year, served as Florida House speaker during the 2007 and 2008 legislative sessions before getting elected to the U.S. Senate in 2010.
Waltz has served as chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness and is a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
“It’s no surprise that foreign leaders are eager to reconnect with President Trump,” Waltz tweeted Monday on X. “They know he brings strength, understands deterrence, and knows how to make deals that WORK.”
A Green Beret and former Pentagon policy adviser to former defense chiefs Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates, Waltz also served in the Florida National Guard, which led to combat tours in Afghanistan, the Middle East and Africa.
