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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis confirmed that he will appoint a replacement for Senator Marco Rubio, who was nominated as Secretary of State by President-elect Donald Trump in January.
Let’s bring you up to speed: Last week, President-elect Donald Trump nominated Senator Marco Rubio as his choice for Secretary of State. Under state and federal law, when a Senate seat becomes vacant, the governor of the respective state has the authority to appoint a temporary replacement to serve until a special election is held. In Rubio’s case, the appointed individual would hold the position for two years, with a special election determining who serves the remaining two years of his term.
The potential replacements: With Rubio stepping aside, many prominent names have emerged as possible replacements for his Senate seat. Among the leading contenders is Lara Trump, the daughter-in-law of President-elect Donald Trump, who has garnered significant support from key Republican figures, including Senator Rick Scott of Florida. Other possibilities include Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, known for her close working relationship with Governor Ron DeSantis, and Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez, a trusted figure in DeSantis’s administration.
What Desantis is saying: In a statement, Florida Governor Ron Desantis said, “Senator Marco Rubio is expected to resign from the Senate to assume duties as Secretary of State when the Trump administration takes power on January 20th, creating a vacancy roughly two months from today. We have already received strong interest from several possible candidates, and we continue to gather names of additional candidates and conduct preliminary vetting. More extensive vetting and candidate interviews will be conducted over the next few weeks, with a selection likely made by the beginning of January. Florida deserves a Senator who will help President Trump deliver on his election mandate, be strong on immigration and border security, take on the entrenched bureaucracy and administrative state, reverse the nation’s fiscal decline, be animated by conservative principles, and has a proven record of results.”
This all comes as Governor Ron DeSantis navigates a tough decision complicated by his historically rocky relationship with President-elect Donald Trump. Although the two have publicly reconciled after a 2024 presidential primary, their rivalry has left residual tensions that make the appointment of Marco Rubio’s replacement a high-stakes move.
