JACKSONVILLE – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis held a news conference Friday morning at Trinity Christian Academy, a private school in Jacksonville.
Joined by Florida Department of Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr., DeSantis highlighted the state’s achievements in education and addressed his plans to appoint a new Florida senator.
DeSantis emphasized Florida’s consistent top rankings in education, noting, “89.7% of Florida students graduate from high school, the highest rate in the nation.”
The governor also outlined his criteria for selecting a replacement for former Sen. Marco Rubio, who was nominated as Secretary of State in President-elect Donald Trump’s administration.
“We’re going to appoint somebody that’s going to help deliver President Trump the mandate that he was given by voters to enact reforms,” DeSantis said. “I also want a senator who is going to be very strong on the issue of immigration. Our immigration is totally out of control in this country. These ridiculous visa programs like the diversity lottery are undercutting American workers. We need to look at the American people first.”
DeSantis ruled himself out as a candidate, saying, “Absolutely not. I was never in consideration for the position. We’re doing well here, and the senator position is something I never considered.”
“I mean, they’ll talk to someone because you’ll see, ‘Oh, someone familiar with the governor’s thinking.’ Understand that means they don’t know what the hell they’re talking about,” DeSantis said. “That means somebody is saying, ‘Well, I know how the governor thinks; he’s probably saying this.’ So they try to do grist for the mill. It’s all made up. And they’re just guessing.”'
Despite DeSantis’ comments, political analysts have speculated on potential candidates, with Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody emerging as a possible front-runner. Other names floated include former House Speaker José Oliva, DeSantis’ chief of staff James Uthmeier, and even Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis.
DeSantis has not provided a timeline for the appointment but emphasized his focus on finding a candidate aligned with his vision and priorities.
Watch the news conference in the video below.
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