Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R) allies in the Florida legislature on Thursday began the legislative process to repeal the state’s resign-to-run law, which would presumably permit DeSantis to remain governor and simultaneously launch a 2024 presidential bid.
Florida law currently says state officeholders must resign to run for federal office. But some Republican lawmakers are supportive of changing the law to give DeSantis flexibility.
“When you think about it,” state Senate President Kathleen Passidomo (R) recently told reporters, “if an individual who … is a Florida governor is running for president, he should be allowed to do it.”
On Thursday, a preliminary draft bill (SPB 7050) was proposed to the Committee on Ethics and Elections to provide legislative intent to change the law. The draft suggests the effective date of the legislation would be July 1, 2023.
If the bill is passed and signed into law by DeSantis, he would presumably be able to launch a primary campaign against former President Donald Trump, who was indicted Thursday by a grand jury in New York.
Trump has been the target of many political attacks in recent years, including two impeachments and seemingly endless investigations.
Some Republicans say those investigations are one reason to move on and support a potential 2024 DeSantis bid. Others say Thursday’s indictment will politically benefit Trump.
Nevertheless, with the effort to repeal the state’s resign-to-run law it appears DeSantis has the intent to launch a presidential campaign.
“I have what it takes to be president and I can beat Biden,” DeSantis told Piers Morgan in one of the clearest indications of his 2024 intentions.
Piers Morgan Interviews Ron DeSantis (Twitter/@piersmorgan)
DeSantis has also begun to return attacks against Trump. During a press conference about the potential indictment from the Manhattan district attorney, DeSantis took indirect aim at the former president.
The governor highlighted his inability to speak to the situation. “I don’t know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some type of alleged affair,” DeSantis said.
Follow Wendell Husebø on Twitter @WendellHusebø. He is the author of Politics of Slave Morality.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.