By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2024-11-18 22:07:02 | Updated at 2024-11-23 10:55:07
4 days ago
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis shared fresh insight into his thinking for replacing Republican Senator Marco Rubio in the Senate after he was nominated for Secretary of State.
President-elect Trump officially named the Florida senator his pick for top diplomat last week as her prepares to enter a second term next year.
Selecting Rubio for the job has been praised by senators on both sides of the aisle and his confirmation is likely to receive bipartisan support in the Senate once Trump resumes office in January.
The move would leave an open Senate seat in Florida with a series of potential candidates being floated to represent the Sunshine State.
'We have already received strong interest from several possible candidates, and we continue to gather names of additional candidates and conduct preliminary vetting,' DeSantis posted on Monday on X.
The GOP governor wrote that more extensive vetting and candidate interviews will e conducted over the next few weeks.
He said a final selection will likely be made at the beginning of January.
Governor Ron DeSantis shared his timeline and process for naming Senator Marco Rubio's replacement once the senator resigns to serve as Secretary of State
'Florida deserves a Senator who will help President Trump deliver on his election mandate, be strong on immigration and border security, take on the entrenched bureaucracy and administrative state, reverse the nation’s fiscal decline, be animated by conservative principles, and has a proven record of results,' DeSantis wrote.
One person who signaled she is interested in the job is Trump's daughter-in-law Lara Trump who currently serves as co-chair of the Republican National Committee.
In an interview with the Fox Business Network last week, Trump was asked about whether she would consider replacing Rubio. She said she was 'humbled and honored' to be mentioned.
Senator Marco Rubio has been named President-elect Trump's nominee for Secretary of State
'I would love to be able to go forward and do more. If this is something I'm asked to do, I would seriously consider it,' Trump said.
The 42-year-old argued her experience at the RNC has shown her 'serving the American people' and it would be a 'great honor and responsibility.'
Some of the president-elect's biggest supporters including Elon Musk have backed Lara Trump getting the appointment.
Florida Senator Rick Scott, who just lost his bid for Senate Majority Leader, also made a push for Lara Trump on Monday.
Trump's daughter-in-law Lara Trump said she would be 'honored' to serve as Florida's senator
We need more Republicans in Washington who actually represent the Republican Party back home and will be steadfast in their commitment to fulfill the mandate from this election - to Make America Great Again. @LaraLeaTrump is that person.
— Rick Scott (@ScottforFlorida) November 18, 2024Several other names of potential Rubio replacements have been floated including the state's attorney general, lt. governor and former House speaker
Other names that have come up are Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody and the state's Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez who are also strong supporters of the president-elect. Former Florida House speaker Jose Olivia has also come up.
Rubio has represented Florida in the Senate since 2011 after serving in the Florida House including as speaker.
He was most recently reelected to the Senate in the 2022 midterms by double-digits.
In his nomination announcement, Trump called Rubio 'a Highly Respected Leader, and a very powerful Voice for Freedom.
He also called Rubio a 'fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries.'
Whomever is appointed to fill Rubio's seat would have to win a special election 2026 to finish Rubio's term before being up for reelection again in 2028.
