2 weeks ago
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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Even arsenic Floridians digested the likelihood of their elder legislator being tapped to tally Donald Trump’s State Department, the question of who replaces Marco Rubio came into focus.
It’s not authoritative yet, but it’s “very firm,” a elder root acquainted with the adjacent White House’s reasoning tells The Post.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has a panoply of options unfastened to him, from insider picks who are acold from household names to authorities officeholders who, similar him, volition beryllium word constricted successful 2026 and are acceptable for thing new.
We considered this question successful July, erstwhile Rubio was being considered arsenic Trump’s moving mate, earlier being rejected due to the fact that an all-Florida summons would person created Electoral College problems successful what was expected to beryllium a adjacent race.
Four months later, galore of the options stay the same. Including 1 perchance tantalizing one.
Appointing himself.
A drawback to that?
He would beryllium taxable to an existent predetermination successful 2026 conscionable arsenic helium would if helium stayed successful the governor’s bureau — the adjacent predetermination volition beryllium expedited to the midterm cycle.
And DeSantis, though helium famously said erstwhile moving for president helium thought helium could bash much successful the White House for Florida than helium could arsenic governor, does not consciousness similar helium could person that effect arsenic the inferior legislator to Rick Scott.
Another determination could beryllium to name idiosyncratic who would fundamentally beryllium keeping the spot lukewarm until helium runs again.
A campaigner for that peculiar role: Chief of Staff James Uthmeier, who helped helm the campaigns to support amendments removing termination restrictions and legalizing recreational weed from passing.
There is precedent for the COS choice. Fifteen years ago, erstwhile Gov. Charlie Crist picked his ain chief, George LeMieux, to regenerate Bob Martinez aft that legislator stepped down midterm. Crist went connected to beryllium rejected by the GOP for Rubio, past mislaid the predetermination arsenic an independent.
It couldn’t perchance spell that severely for DeSantis if helium wants a placeholder. He’s already ruled retired a occupation successful the Trump administration, saying he’d alternatively beryllium “quarterbacking” Florida, which is conscionable arsenic good fixed Trump’s COS Susie Wiles has nary crushed to assistance him out. So arsenic overmuch arsenic helium mightiness not privation to beryllium successful the Senate, it’s either that oregon hosting a cablegram amusement if he’s unopen retired of the White House.
Another absorbing enactment could besides beryllium successful the governor’s mansion — though logistics contiguous a peculiarly idiosyncratic situation for her.
Casey DeSantis is the astir progressive successful argumentation of immoderate of the archetypal ladies, and she surely would lukewarm up to the role. But with 3 kids who are 8 years of property oregon under, the timing isn’t close for her to instrumentality the occupation particularly fixed the governor’s demanding question schedule. Stranger things person happened, but the household dynamic is cardinal to the DeSantis branding, and it’s hard to ideate a nanny taking implicit for 2 years portion some parents person demanding jobs.
There’s besides the accidental that a Florida Cabinet subordinate could get the pick, and 2 of them are word constricted successful 2026: Attorney General Ashley Moody and Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis.
Of the two, Moody seems similar the astir apt pick. Since Joe Biden’s 2020 election, she’s worked manus successful mitt with the politician successful ineligible challenges to national overreach connected issues ranging from pandemic mitigation to borderline capitulation.
She is, by far, the astir enthusiastic advocator for DeSantis of immoderate Cabinet member. And successful opposition to the chilly dynamic betwixt DeSantis and Scott that goes backmost to erstwhile the Naples Republican was leaving the governor’s mansion, Moody would beryllium a genuine state to the antheral who appointed her. And she would beryllium an odds-on favourite to beryllium elected for a afloat word successful 2 years.
There besides are different names worthy mentioning. The eventual olive subdivision to the president-elect would beryllium a subordinate of the Trump family; a fewer unrecorded successful Florida, and Republican National Committee Co-Chair Lara Trump is being touted successful immoderate MAGA convos. And erstwhile Florida House Speaker Jose Oliva would beryllium an absorbing successor to Rubio, though it remains to beryllium seen if he’d beryllium arsenic palmy statewide arsenic the outgoing senator.
Whoever the prime is, though, determination volition beryllium a butterfly effect successful Florida authorities that reverberates done the adjacent election.
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