Under proposal, DeSantis would not have to resign as Gov. to run for White House
MIAMI - The Florida Senate on Wednesday is slated to take up a proposal that could help Gov. Ron DeSantis if he runs for president.
The proposal, part of an amendment to a major elections bill (SB 7050), would exempt candidates for president or vice president from the state's resign-to-run law.
That law says any state officeholder who "qualifies for federal public office must resign from the office he or she presently holds if the terms, or any part thereof, run concurrently with each other."
By exempting candidates for president or vice president from the requirement, the bill would ensure DeSantis could run for president in 2024 without having to resign as governor.
Questions have swirled for weeks about whether lawmakers would pursue such a change. DeSantis has not formally announced a presidential bid but is widely expected to run next year.
Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried released the following statement:
"Yet again, Florida Republicans in the legislature are doing the bidding of Ron DeSantis to serve his selfish ambitions. This entire legislative session, DeSantis has pushed the legislature to pass his extreme agenda of banning abortion and legislation that could make it easier for criminals to carry guns to boost his national profile and win over the MAGA base ahead of a potential presidential run. This is just the latest example of Florida Republicans enabling DeSantis's pursuit of his national ambition as he fails Floridians on the issues that affect them most."