Newly-appointed Lt. Gov. Jay Collins isn’t jumping into the race to succeed term-limited Gov. Ron DeSantis.
At least not yet.
DeSantis on Aug. 13 praised Collins for his military background and record as a state senator, touting him as a potential good candidate, but noted the primary for the governor’s race is another year away.
“Jay has been clear: This has been about doing a mission. Politics will take care of itself,” DeSantis said at an event in Tampa.
Collins, 47, was elected to the Florida Senate for a district covering part of Hillsborough County in 2022 after being recruited to run by DeSantis. A Green Beret with tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, Collins was lauded by DeSantis for standing with him during his push for illegal immigration enforcement laws earlier in the year.
DeSantis praises Collins: 'Blown away by his story'
Beyond being able to do the job of governor, though, DeSantis said Collins would be a good candidate on the campaign trail.
“A lot of the people that didn’t know much about him were really blown away by his story,” DeSantis said of his Aug. 12 announcement naming Collins as lieutenant governor. “He definitely has the ingredients to be a compelling candidate that would grab attention.”
DeSantis’ comments come against the backdrop of a nascent campaign season that could resurrect the feud between him and President Donald Trump.
U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Naples, has already started his campaign for governor and has received Trump’s endorsement. DeSantis has notably not endorsed Donalds, who backed Trump in 2024 when DeSantis challenged him for the GOP nomination for President.
But DeSantis also downplayed speculation that his wife, First Lady Casey DeSantis, would run to succeed him: “That’s not anything she has ever outwardly sought. She’s really happy making a difference.”
On the Democratic side in the governor’s race, the only major candidate who has filed to run is former U.S. Rep. David Jolly, a Republican who left the GOP and became a Democrat in April.
Democratic former U.S. Rep. Al Lawson Jr. of Tallahassee has said he’s considering a run as well.
More: Former US Rep. Al Lawson of Tallahassee eyes Florida governor race in 2026
Gray Rohrer is a reporter with the USA TODAY Network-Florida Capital Bureau. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on X: @GrayRohrer.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: DeSantis praises Jay Collins but says talk of governor bid can wait
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