TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — As many speculate that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis may be gearing up for a presidential bid, many have been wondering…can he even do that if he’s still the governor?
That answer was no – but things may be changing.
Friday afternoon, the Florida House voted 76 to 34 to change the law that would have required Florida politicians in office to resign from their current office in order to run for another political position if their terms would overlap.
An amendment, nestled in a 96-page elections bill, now offers an exemption –but only if the person is running for president or vice president. The exemption does not apply if the candidate is running for other political offices.
“I think we all know the elephant in the room,” Representative Anna V. Eskamani said. “And that is for Gov. DeSantis and his path to run for president.”
Critics say this changes the law so that DeSantis can run for president while keeping a safety net as governor if he loses.
Supporters of the change, like Representative Tyler Sirois, say this will help clear up some ambiguity and make “a path forward a little more clear.”
“I can’t think I can’t think of a better training ground than the state of Florida for a future potential commander-in-chief,” Sirois said.
Now, as long as the governor signs the bill, worrying about that resignation will be a thing of the past. If signed, it would go into effect on July 1.
As of now, DeSantis has not announced plans to run for president.