Here’s what happens to Sen. Rubio’s seat if he becomes secretary of state and who could replace him
President-elect Trump is expected to nominate GOP Sen. Marco Rubio as secretary of state, Fox News Digital reported this week, shifting focus to the state of Florida where Gov. Ron DeSantis will be tasked with appointing a replacement in the Senate.
Rubio was re-elected in 2022 to serve another six-year term in the Senate, which means DeSantis’ choice to replace him would serve until a special election is held in 2026 that would determine who serves in Rubio’s seat for the last two years of his term.
Whoever DeSantis appoints to serve until 2026 is eligible to run in that special election to serve until 2028, when another election will take place.
DeSantis can appoint whoever he desires to fill the seat, including himself or his wife Casey, and many names have already surfaced as potential replacements barring a last-minute change of heart from Trump.
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Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody
Moody is the Republican Attorney General of Florida and has held the role since 2019. The Republican 38th Attorney General of the state was re-elected in 2022 after defeating Democrat Aramis Ayala.
Since being elected as Attorney General, she has served as a commissioner on the Presidential Commission of Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice. Moody also served as chair of Florida’s Statewide Task Force on Opioid Abuse.
U.S. District Judge Roy Altman
“Many GOP senators are talking about Judge Roy Altman for Marco Rubio’s replacement,” Fox News correspondent Lucas Tomlinson reported on Tuesday. “He’s a Trump-appointed judge in South Florida, Venezuelan immigrant, and Yale Law grad.”
DeSantis Chief of Staff James Uthmeier
Uthmeier previously served as DeSantis’s chief of staff and as a campaign manager for his presidential campaign. Some have speculated that Uthmeir could serve as a placeholder in the Senate for two years, at which point DeSantis could run for the seat after his term as governor ends at the end of 2026.
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Republican National Committee Co-Chair Lara Trump
Many have suggested that Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara should be considered for the position, including Alabama GOP Sen. Katie Britt who told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that Trump would be a “tremendous selection as the next senator for Florida.”
“She is a staunch conservative who just helped deliver a sweeping electoral mandate for Republicans in her role as co-chair of the RNC,” Britt explained.
“She understands — and has played a key role in building — the historic big-tent, America First coalition that is poised to get our nation back on track. I know that as a fellow mom of school-aged children, she brings the firsthand perspective of parents across our country who want to preserve the American Dream for generations to come. We need more strong voices like hers at the table in the Senate. Lara Trump would be a tenacious fighter for Floridians and hardworking people across America, and I’d love to see her appointed to this open seat.”
Former Florida House Speaker Jose Oliva
Oliva served in Florida’s House of Representatives from 2011 to 2020 and as speaker of the House for the final two years.
In 2023, DeSantis appointed Oliva to a seven-year term on the Florida Board of Governors.
Florida Lt. Governor Jeanette Nunez
Nuñez, a DeSantis ally, is the first Hispanic woman lieutenant governor of the State of Florida, and a former representative of the Florida House. She has served on the Statewide Human Trafficking Council and was a member of the South Florida Human Trafficking Task Force for Super Bowl LIV.
“DeSantis’ has a unique opportunity to shape Florida’s future — and perhaps his own — when he fills Rubio’s seat,” Rob Bluey, President and Executive Editor of The Daily Signal, told Fox News Digital. “Whether he takes the job himself or appoints someone else, the state’s next senator will command national attention given Florida’s growing political clout.”
Bluey added that DeSantis “has no shortage of options from his own administration or Florida’s congressional delegation.”
“Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez has served alongside DeSantis since his first run for governor in 2018. There are also several rising stars from the House, such as Reps. Byron Donalds, Kat Cammack, and Matt Gaetz. He could also pick his wife Casey or even Lara Trump,” Bluey said.
“Whomever DeSantis selects will have big shoes to fill. Rubio made big waves in Washington during his tenure and offered a thoughtful approach to policymaking.”
Fox News Digital reached out to DeSantis’ office for comment but did not receive a response.