TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – According to the state’s laws as they stand today, Ron DeSantis would be required to step down as governor of Florida before he could run for president. This is especially true when considering that the presidential term does not begin until 2024. The remaining two years of his term as governor would still be available to him.
However, there are state legislators who believe he ought to be able to continue working while still campaigning. They are thinking of amending the “Resign-to-Run” law in the state of Florida.
It is just one of the many topics that new Florida House Speaker Paul Renner plans to address during this session of the Florida legislature.
“I would like to make sure that our governor has the opportunity to pursue that if he chooses and that he does not necessarily have to quit the governorship if he is not successful,” he added. “I would like to make sure that our governor has the ability to pursue that if he chooses.”
As of right now, Section 99.012 (4) (a) of the Florida Statute states that “Any officer who qualifies for federal public office must resign from the office he or she now occupies if the terms, or any part thereof, run concurrently with each other.”
The following presidential term will begin in 2024, two years before the end of Governor DeSantis’ time in 2026. Because of the way the legislation is written in this state, he would be required to step down from his position to compete for president, and he would incur the risk of being unemployed if he was unsuccessful.
Recent Post-
- Crews In Florida Are Working Hard To Clean Up After Back-to-back Hurricanes
- Utah Man Convicted of Killing His Mother Who Reportedly Followed a Girl Into School to Hurt Her
Louis Virelli, a law professor at Stetson University, noted that “what the state law is telling you is that if you are a state official, you can not continue to be a state official while running for another office, including a federal one.” “What the state law is telling you is that if you are a state official, you cannot continue to be a state official while running for another office
This would not be the first time this law accommodated a specific governor’s goals; it has done so before. In 2008, Charlie Crist assented to a modification that would have allowed him to serve as John McCain’s running mate.
Two years later, it was brought back with the justification that doing so would result in fewer special elections.
According to State Representative Fentrice Driskell, who just assumed the role of Democratic Party Leader in the House of Representatives, “Laws are designed to be the guidelines for how we operate.” “Where is the fairness in that?” I asked. “If you can adjust it based on what you want to do for a friend, where is that?”
There are several circumstances in which the law does make an exception, such as for people who already occupy a federal office. When Marco Rubio ran for president in 2016, he had no requirement to resign from his position as senator.
As a result, former Governor Rick Scott could continue serving until he was sworn in as a senator because his tenure as governor and senator did not coincide.
The Speaker of the House, Renner, has admitted that this bill will be tailored specifically for one individual.
When asked about the actions of state legislators, he stated, “We have been all over the map.” “We need to be very honest with people that we have gone back and forth on this issue based on what suited us politically at the time,” she said. “We must be very honest with people that we have changed our minds multiple times.”
Stay connected with lakecountyfloridanews.com for the Latest News.
