Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Monday that whoever he picks to replace Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) must have a “proven record of results” — in response to a push for Republican National Committee co-chair Lara Trump to be appointed to the seat.
“Florida deserves a Senator who will help President[-elect Donald] 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, 46, wrote in a statement on X.
Trump tapped Rubio to serve as his secretary of state last week. With the 53-year-old expected to cruise to confirmation, Rubio will likely resign from the Senate sometime before Trump, 78, is sworn in Jan. 20.
Under Florida law, DeSantis will pick Rubio’s replacement to fill the seat until a special election can be held in 2026. Whoever wins that race will complete Rubio’s term before coming up for election again in 2028.
The decision could either reignite or bury the fight that took place between DeSantis and the 45th president during the GOP primaries.
The relationship has been thawing in the months following Trump’s win, but the governor is facing pressure to appoint Lara Trump, the wife of once and future first son Eric Trump.
Among those who have endorsed Lara Trump to fill Rubio’s seat are Sens. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Katie Britt (R-Ala.), as well as Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) — though Donald Trump himself has been conspicuously silent on the matter.
Other names that have been floated to fill the vacancy include James Uthmeier, DeSantis’ current chief of staff and former general counsel, and Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez, who would be the first Latina to represent the Sunshine State in the Senate.
Lara Trump, 42, said Thursday that she would “seriously consider” taking the appointment if offered, but added that she had yet to discuss it with DeSantis.
“If this is something I am asked to do, I would seriously consider it, but I have yet to hear from Gov. DeSantis. So we’ll see what happens,” she told Fox Business’s Maria Bartiromo.
DeSantis said in his statement he has already “received strong interest from several possible candidates” and that he’s continuing to interview and vet candidates.
“More extensive vetting and candidate interviews will be conducted over the next few weeks,” the Florida governor wrote, “with a selection likely made by the beginning of January.”
