Will Florida’s lieutenant governor opening give Casey DeSantis a crack at the top spot?

GOP donors eye Casey DeSantis for governor

Evan Axelbank reports.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - There's going to be an opening near the top of Florida's government. It comes after Lt. Governor Jeanette Nunez was hired on Friday to be the new president of Florida International University in Miami.

It now gives Governor Ron DeSantis another opportunity to leave his mark by choosing a new lieutenant governor for Florida.

READ: Governor DeSantis deputizes state troopers for immigration enforcement in partnership with federal government

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But, could it pave the way for Florida's First Lady Casey DeSantis to get a crack at the top spot?

Published reports from NBC News said Republican donors are discussing whether Casey DeSantis would want Florida's top job. In her time in the spotlight, she's spearheaded public-private partnerships like "Hope Florida," and joined the fight against legalizing recreational marijuana.

"If Amendment Three passes, you will be subjected to the unrelenting smell of pot," Casey DeSantis said during an appearance in Bartow back in October. "And so will our children."

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Intrigue is peaking after FIU's board voted to make Nunez their new president, because it means the governor has to tap someone new for that number two spot in Florida government.

As of now, it's not known whether Ron DeSantis will want a successor who will run for governor themselves next year or if he will want someone who has no interest in boosting their profile in hopes of leaving room for his wife to run for the top job in Florida.

Pictured: Florida's First Lady Casey Desantis with Governor Ron DeSantis.

"We need somebody that's very conservative, is going to keep this going, because there's no guarantee this keeps going," he said last week.

The other question: Who will President Donald Trump back in 2026?

MORE: Gov. DeSantis pushing for more funding for 'My Safe Florida Home' program

Florida's Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson and Rep. Byron Donalds are thought to have his ear.

"We don't know if that's going to happen yet," said Republican strategist Anthony Pedicini. "But if he does that and then the governor has a lieutenant governor who's running, it's going to set up quite the head-to-head Cold War."

Another question is whether both the governor and first lady want to test to see who has the ear of Republican voters.

"It doesn't mean the governor is not doing a great job or done great things for the free state of Florida," said Pedicini. "But, I think the political winds, the magnetic personality of Trump and the power of the White House makes more Republicans feel that way."

The appointment of a lieutenant governor will likely not be made until the legislative session starts in March. The governor also still has to make appointments to replace Ashley Moody as Florida's attorney general and Jimmy Patronis' as the state's chief financial officer.

When Florida's first lady has been asked whether she is interested in running for governor of Florida, she has said it is flattering, because it means her husband has done a good job. But, she also has not said no.

The Source: The information in this story was gathered by FOX 13's Evan Axelbank.

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