DeSantis Says Decision on Rubio Senate Replacement Will Likely Be Made at Start of January

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis attends the drivers meeting prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., on Feb. 19, 2024. Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis confirmed on Monday that vetting is happening on the replacement for outgoing Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) after President-elect Donald Trump picked him to be his secretary of state.

Last week, Trump named Rubio, one of his 2016 GOP rivals for the Republican nomination in that year’s presidential election, to lead the Department of State. It means that DeSantis has to pick a replacement to serve out Rubio’s Senate term, which ends in 2028.

In a statement on social media, DeSantis noted that Rubio is expected to step down from his position as senator by Jan. 20, 2025, when the incoming Trump administration takes power.

“We have already received strong interest from several possible candidates, and we continue to gather names of additional candidates and conduct preliminary vetting,” the governor said in his statement. “More extensive vetting and candidate interviews will be conducted over the next few weeks, with a selection likely made by the beginning of January.”

DeSantis did not disclose any names or other details about the candidates who might replace Rubio.

But he said that Florida should have a senator who will help 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.”

There has been mounting speculation that Lara Trump, the president-elect’s daughter-in-law and co-chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC), could be selected by DeSantis.

Several Florida lawmakers such as Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Rep. Anna Paulina Lune (R-Fla.) have publicly backed Lara Trump to be Rubio’s replacement. Also, Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Katie Britt (R-Ala.) have backed the president-elect’s daughter-in-law.

On Saturday, Lara Trump told Fox News that she would “strongly consider” serving in the Senate under her father-in-law, although she said she has not been asked.

When asked by Fox host Will Cain whether she would do so, she said: “If I am tapped to serve in another capacity, it truly would be my honor.

“I think it would be great to have another young mom alongside Katie Britt there in the United States Senate. I have not been asked yet, but I certainly would strongly consider it if it’s presented to me.”

Other names floated in media reports to replace Rubio include Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nunez, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, and DeSantis chief of staff James Uthmeier. However, neither DeSantis nor any of those officials have publicly commented on those claims.

Other than Rubio, several other Florida lawmakers have been chosen to be part of the incoming administration. President-elect Trump’s home state is Florida.

Last week, Trump selected Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who resigned from his seat in Congress after the announcement, to become his attorney general. Days before that, he announced he would choose Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.) to be his national security adviser. Both Gaetz and Waltz represent districts that are considered Republican strongholds.

DeSantis wrote on social media that he directed Florida’s secretary of state to come up with a schedule for special elections immediately.

Rubio, 53, has been openly critical of the Chinese Communist Party as well as Cuba’s communist regime. The Cuban American also in the past advocated for a stronger foreign policy targeting the United States’ geopolitical foes. In 2020, the Chinese regime imposed sanctions on Rubio for his stance on Hong Kong’s democracy protests.