Gov. Ron DeSantis plans to tap former Green Beret and decorated military veteran Jay Collins as Florida’s lieutenant governor, filling the job with a close ally who could mount a gubernatorial primary challenge to President Donald Trump’s pick, Rep. Byron Donalds.
DeSantis has been without a second in command since February, after appointing former Lt. Gov. Jeannette Nuñez as president of Florida International University in Miami. The decision to appoint the Republican state senator provides the sharpest signs yet into DeSantis’ thinking on who should succeed him in next year’s election.
First lady Casey DeSantis had been seen as a potential successor for governor, at one point doing little to tamp down speculation. But as the months have stretched on, she has not made any firm moves toward a candidacy. Gov. DeSantis has declined to endorse Donalds, leaving the door open for someone else to run for the office with the governor’s support.
Gov. DeSantis plans to make his announcement Tuesday, according to four people familiar with the planning, granted anonymity to relay private conversations.
Two of the people confirmed the press conference is scheduled to occur at the Tampa Green Beret Association.
The location is symbolic given Collins' military service; he served tours in Iraq and Afghanistan during his 23 years in the military, and he had part of his leg amputated during his military service. Collins then requalified and spent five additional years with the Green Berets.
Collins is one of the governor’s top allies in the state Legislature. In recent months, he has publicly defended Hope Florida — the effort spearheaded by Casey DeSantis — as it came under scrutiny by the Republican-supermajority House. Collins also traveled to the Middle East in June to help organize DeSantis’ rescue flights to help Americans fleeing Israel.
Several possible contenders had been bandied about in the months since Nuñez left, but Collins shot to the top of the list due in part to his never-wavering interest in the position. “If the governor asks me to do that, you serve your state. How do you say no to that?” Collins previously told POLITICO.
The governor had considered two former Florida House speakers for the job: Republicans Jose Oliva and Richard Corcoran. The governor’s office declined to share information about the event, but POLITICO previously reported that DeSantis waffled on Collins because he thought he was treating an appointment like a foregone conclusion.
Collins told POLITICO a week ago that he would consider it a privilege to potentially serve as LG or to remain in the state Senate, and praised Gov. DeSantis as an “incredible governor.” He did not immediately respond to a text seeking comment on Tuesday’s planned event.
The job of Florida lieutenant governor has no set list of duties, and it has not been a good springboard for those who want the job of Florida’s chief executive. The last lieutenant governor to run for governor was Democrat Buddy MacKay, who lost to Jeb Bush in 1998.
Collins was first elected in 2022 with a strong boost from Gov. DeSantis. He initially planned to run for Congress, but switched from a run in a contested Republican primary to challenge incumbent Democrat Janet Cruz in a Tampa district. He won the immediate endorsement of DeSantis over another GOP candidate who planned to run with the backing of state Senate Republicans.
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