What to know:
- Rubio’s Senate seat was up for reelection in 2022. The seat would be filled by special election in 2026, and a general election would take place in 2028.
- Gov. Ron DeSantis would need to fill the vacancy by appointment under Florida law.
- There is very little publicly confirmed regarding who DeSantis would appoint, but speculators believe it would likely be a political ally, and be somebody either from his executive office, the Florida Legislature or Congress.
- The Florida governor can appoint anyone he wants, including himself.
The last time a vacancy occurred in a Florida U.S. Senate seat was in 2009, when George S. LeMieux was tapped by then-Gov. Charlie Crist. LeMieux did not end up seeking election to the seat.
DeSantis is learning about the news of Rubio likely exiting the Senate seat while the governor is on a trade mission in Europe.
Rubio has been an ardent Trump surrogate throughout the 2024 campaign, and was at one point a top candidate to become Trump’s vice president.
Meanwhile, calls now are emerging to appoint Laura Trump, daughter-in-law of the President-Elect to fill Rubio’s former spot. Reports are that she is “all in” on the idea.
Trump’s daughter-in-law confirmed to Fox News that she “would love to serve the people of Florida” if she’s able.
“This is my home state now and has been for three years,” she added in an interview with Sean Hannity.
