Florida state Sen. Travis Hutson has introduced a proposal to amend the state’s “resign-to-run” law, which would allow Gov. Ron DeSantis to announce his candidacy for the presidency without resigning as governor.
The proposed amendment is part of Senate Bill 7050 (pdf), a larger piece of legislation related to state elections. It would change the existing provision in Florida Statute that requires any public official seeking federal office to resign from their current state position if the terms run concurrently with each other.
The amendment would exclude candidates running for president or vice president from Florida’s “resign-to-run” law, and is intended to “clarify existing law.”
The amendment reads, in part, “Any person seeking the office of President or Vice President of the United States is not subject to the requirements of chapter 99, Florida Statutes, which govern candidate qualifying, specifically those which require the submission of certain documents, full and public disclosures of financial interests, petition signatures, or the payment of filing fees.”
DeSantis is widely expected to run for president despite the lack of an official announcement. As a potential presidential candidate and the current governor of Florida, the existing law mandates that DeSantis submit a written resignation, but the specific date for this is uncertain.
The governor has been on a recent book tour in early primary states, made speaking appearances around the country, and is currently on an international trade mission to Japan, South Korea, Israel, and the UK.
The proposed amendment would allow DeSantis to run for president without resigning his top position in Florida, but he would have to give up the last two years of his governorship, as he is term-limited and cannot seek a third term.
DeSantis became Florida’s governor in 2019. In January, he began his second four-year term. If he resigns, Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nunez will ascend to the governorship.
On Tuesday, DeSantis told Asia Nikkei that he wouldn’t be making any announcements until the “end of the legislative session” in May. “So, just stay tuned,” he said.
