Gov. Ron DeSantis canceled a scheduled appearance Wednesday at the Florida Power & Light Northwest Florida Economic Symposium, but lobbyist Darrick McGhee provided the attendees with a Florida legislative update that included what happens if DeSantis runs for the Republican presidential nomination.
Florida law currently says state officeholders must resign their positions if they run for a federal office. McGhee said he expects DeSantis to seek the nomination and for lawmakers to pass a bill that ensures he remains governor unless he is elected president.
“What will end up happening is the governor will not have to resign his seat as sitting governor to run for president,” said McGhee, chief operating officer for the lobbying firm Johnson & Blanton LLC. “…Nothing really changes other than he’ll now be a sitting governor running nationally for president, as well, but nothing will change via law or constitution. You will only see a change if he is successful in November of next year as far as winning the presidency.”
On Sunday, Fox News released a poll that showed Republican primary voters favored former President Donald Trump over DeSantis. Trump received 43% of the vote, followed by DeSantis at 28%. Some polls indicate the opposite with DeSantis ahead of Trump by double-digit percentage points in some instances.
If DeSantis was elected president in November 2024, Lt. Gov. Jeanette Núñez would be sworn in and act as governor for the remainder of the term. DeSantis’ term expires two years after the presidential election. McGhee said Núñez would then have the option to appoint a lieutenant governor or leave that office vacant.
“Albeit a running mate, the authority of the lieutenant governor is given to him or her by the governor,” he said.
McGhee said if DeSantis were elected president, there would be no shortage of candidates for governor in 2026. He said he could name six off the top of his head, but he declined to share who they are with the audience.
“I can tell you there will be a lot of people considering running because it will be an open ticket,” he said.
