Florida Governor Ron DeSantis says he will likely decide on a successor to Sen. Marco Rubio by early January, emphasizing that the governor's office has already begun vetting multiple potential candidates.
President-elect Donald Trump last week formally announced that he would nominate Rubio, a three-term senator from Florida and the ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations and Intelligence Committee, to be secretary of state in his next administration.
“Senator Marco Rubio will resign from the Senate to become Secretary of State when the Trump administration takes office on January 20th, creating a vacancy for approximately two months starting today,” DeSantis said in a statement Monday morning. Ta.
Click here for the latest FOX News coverage of the Trump administration's transition.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis says he will likely name a candidate to replace Sen. Marco Rubio, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of state, by early January. (Joe Radle/Getty Images)
“We have already received strong interest from several potential candidates and are continuing to collect and pre-screen additional names. Further extensive screening and candidate interviews will take place over the coming weeks,” the governor said. “He will probably be selected,” he said. By early January. ”
Loyalty matters: President Trump nominates America's first loyalist to Cabinet, makes a big splash
The statement by Florida's conservative Republican governor comes as some key Trump allies are calling on Lara Trump, co-chair of the Republican National Committee and the president-elect's daughter-in-law, to fill Rubio's seat. The move comes amid recommendations to nominate him to DeSantis. 2 years.
Among those who have promoted Lara Trump in recent days are Sen. Rick Scott, another Republican from Florida, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama; and Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luhn. Florida.
Lara Trump, former President Donald Trump's daughter-in-law, speaks to the media after a Trump rally in North Charleston, South Carolina, on February 21, 2024. (Brandon Gillespie/Fox News)
DeSantis, a former Trump ally, clashed with the former president last year and early this year in the highly controversial race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, but backed Trump after the primary season. , he helped to recruit party members, and as a result he somewhat repaired his relationship with the former president. General election campaign funds for Republican candidates.
“Florida has the power to help President Trump fulfill his electoral mandate, to be strong on immigration and border security, to fight entrenched bureaucracies and the administrative state, to reverse fiscal decline, and to support conservative causes.” We deserve a senator with a proven track record who is driven by the United States.'' The results were outstanding,'' DeSantis said in a statement.
Amid calls to nominate Lara Trump to fill Rubio's seat, DeSantis' statement was seen as a signal that he is not in a hurry to make a rash decision.
Former President Donald Trump (left) greets Florida Sen. Marco Rubio during a campaign rally at JS Dorton Arena on November 4, 2024 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/AFP)
A political associate of Mr. DeSantis said only that “the statement speaks for itself.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Under Florida law, the governor has the power to temporarily appoint someone to fill a vacancy in the Senate until the next regular general election in 2026.
Other candidates to succeed Mr. Rubio include DeSantis Chief of Staff James Usmayer, Lt. Gov. Janet Nunez, Attorney General Ashley Moody, outgoing Florida House Speaker Paul Renner, and former state House Speaker Jose Oliva. Their names are emerging.
