- A proposed amendment to Florida’s “resign-to-run” law would allow Governor Ron DeSantis to run for President while retaining his position as Florida’s top official.
- The amendment would exempt anyone seeking the office of President or Vice President from the requirements of Chapter 99 of the Florida Statutes which requires any public official that decides to run for a federal public office to resign from their current position if the terms of their current and prospective roles overlap.
- The larger Senate Bill 7050 seeks to make changes to state election laws and proposes various enhancements and changes to voter registration requirements, procedures, and deadlines.
A strike-all amendment filed by Sen. Travis Hutson in the Florida Senate on Tuesday would partially re-write the state’s “resign-to-run” law, setting the stage for Gov. Ron DeSantis to announce a bid for the White House while retaining his position as Florida’s top official.
The amendment modifies an existing provision of the Florida Statute, which stipulates that any public official who decides to run for a federal public office must resign from their current position if the terms of their current and prospective roles overlap at any time.
As the next presidential term would begin in January 2025, DeSantis, whose second term as governor runs until January 2027, would be forced to relinquish his position in order to conduct a national campaign.
“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,” reads a portion of the amendment.
The filing was made to the larger Senate Bill 7050, a piece of legislation seeking to make changes to state election laws. The measure was originally filed as an empty shell bill — meaning it would allow legislators to add language as it worked through the Senate — with the assumption that it would be used as a vehicle to alter election protocols.
In a macroscopic view, the bill proposes enhancements to signature-matching training requirements, clarifies the responsibilities of the Office of Election Crimes and Security and statewide prosecutor, and introduces changes to voter registration requirements, procedures, and deadlines.
It also updates the processes for voter registration list maintenance activities and enhances the information that other governmental entities must provide for that purpose. Additionally, it creates a new candidate disclosure requirement for outstanding fines and fees and specifies how candidates with the same surname running for the same office in a general election may be distinguished on the ballot.
Despite a busy itinerary of both domestic and international travel typically characteristic of an individual entrenched in a heated election campaign, DeSantis has not yet made a formal declaration of his candidacy for the presidency.
Rumblings around The Capitol peg a mid-May announcement date shortly following the conclusion of the ongoing legislative session as most likely, though no reports have been confirmed.
When queried about declining poll numbers, which place current Republican frontrunner Donald Trump ahead of DeSantis by a 37-point margin, the governor brushed aside any ruminations, citing his non-candidate status.
“I’m not a candidate, so we’ll see if and when that changes,” said DeSantis.
Though DeSantis has not made a formal announcement, a recent book tour, flurries of domestic appearances, and an ongoing trade mission across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe show an amplified national presence oftentimes seen in public officials readying to try and jump to higher office.