Florida Amendment Would Pave the Way for DeSantis Presidential Run
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Tuesday, April 25, a Florida Republican introduced an amendment to the state Senate’s omnibus elections bill Senate Bill 7050 that would change Florida’s resign-to-run law. Currently, Florida law requires public officials running for another office that overlaps with their current term to submit a resignation from their current office before running. This resignation is irrevocable, meaning even if a candidate were to run for and lose, they would still have to resign their office. The proposed amendment would instead exempt candidates running for president from this requirement, a change that would allow Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) to run against former President Donald Trump for the Republican nomination for president in 2024 without resigning his governorship.
Florida’s legislative session is scheduled to end on May 5 and DeSantis has said he won’t announce his intentions for 2024 until then. If the change to Florida’s resign-to-run law isn’t enacted during the session (or any subsequent special session), DeSantis could be forced to submit a resignation before Florida’s presidential qualification deadline in December 2023 that would take effect in January 2025 even if he doesn’t win the nomination.
The Florida Senate is expected to consider both the amendment and the broader underlying bill this week.