DeSantis Unlikely to Pull from House to Replace Senator Rubio

In the very near future, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) will be resigning his senate seat to be sworn in as our new Secretary of State.  

This has led to quite a bit of expectation in regard to who Governor Ron DeSantis will appoint to fill the seat leading up to the special election.  

DeSantis has kept his very close to the vest, but we do now know that he will not be picking someone from the House.  

Too Thin 

DeSantis very much wants to keep the House majority intact, so picking someone from Congress to fill this seat is not an option for DeSantis.

He stated, “I’ve been honest with the congresspeople ... that’s a big concern of mine. 

“You’ve got to be part of the team and you’ve got to help deliver (President-elect Donald Trump’s policies). He spoke at a press conference in which he announced a special legislative session on immigration and other matters. 

"But if you put someone there and it reduces the numbers in the House it may make it harder for them to enact an agenda.” 

Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL) has stated that he plans on running for the seat if DeSantis does not select him, but the incumbent will have a major advantage.  

DeSantis even addressed this, stating, “People are free to do what they want, I think generally speaking if somebody is appointed and does a good job I don’t think they’re going to be somebody that you’re going to be able to successfully challenge in a Republican primary.” 

I still believe that DeSantis has his eyes on this seat to keep his profile relevant after being termed out as governor.  

I could be wrong, but I think DeSantis will appoint someone to that seat that will leave after the first term, and endorse DeSantis for the seat in 2026.  

To me, it is the only move that makes sense for DeSantis if he plans to run for president again.  

Due to Vance being Trump’s VP, I believe he will be the favorite in 2028, and I don’t even expect DeSantis to run. But if Vance were to lose in 2028, if DeSantis were in the Senate, it would clearly make him the favorite in 2032.  

Remember, DeSantis is still a very young man, still only in his 40s, so he has to be thinking about the long game here.