DeSantis Urges Special Elections Following Trump’s Appointment of 3 Florida Lawmakers to Cabinet

November 15, 2024 TruthUSA

The most recent special election held in Florida was in 2021 to fill the House seat left vacant by the passing of Democrat Alcee Hastings of House District 20.

Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis has instructed Secretary of State Cord Byrd to begin preparations for upcoming special elections following President-elect Donald Trump’s selection of three Florida lawmakers for his Cabinet.

“Congratulations to the Floridians appointed to key positions in the Trump Administration: Senator Marco Rubio, Congressman Matt Gaetz, and Congressman Mike Waltz,” DeSantis shared on the social media platform X. “I’ve directed Secretary of State Cord Byrd to develop and announce a schedule for the upcoming special elections without delay.”

If approved by the Senate next year, Rubio would assume the role of Trump’s Secretary of State, Gaetz as the next U.S. Attorney General, and Waltz as Trump’s national security adviser—a position Trump intends to elevate to Cabinet level.

Florida law mandates that vacancies in Congress be filled through special elections. This means that the voters of Florida’s First District and Florida’s Sixth District, which elected Gaetz and Waltz respectively, will have the opportunity to choose their replacements. The governor made the decision to prepare for the elections while on a trade mission in Italy.

Gaetz represents the Florida Panhandle district including Pensacola and Fort Walton Beach, while Waltz’s district spans from Daytona Beach and Palm Coast across to I-75, covering the entire Ocala National Forest.

The call for special elections came shortly after the GOP maintained its majority in the House of Representatives. Both districts, however, are considered strongholds for the Republican Party, with both congressmen securing reelection by significant margins.

Since Rubio is a senator, DeSantis will appoint his replacement, who will complete Rubio’s term and contest the first general election for the seat in 2026. It remains uncertain at this point whom DeSantis will select, but appointing any sitting state representative or state senator would trigger another special election.

The special election held in 2021 filled the House seat left vacant after the passing of Democrat Alcee Hastings, who represented House District 20. Several Democratic lawmakers at the state level stepped down to run for the open seat, leading to further special elections to fill those vacated positions.

At the time of this publication, Gaetz was the only one among the three Floridians to have submitted his resignation.

Rubio, Gaetz, and Waltz now join a list of potential appointees that includes South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem as Secretary of Homeland Security, Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense, and former Hawaii Representative Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence.

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