Florida Legislature passes bill allowing DeSantis to run for president as governor
The move by GOP legislators comes shortly before the governor is expected to jump into the race for president in the next few weeks.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida’s Republican-controlled Legislature on Friday approved sweeping election law changes, including a provision that clears the way for Gov. Ron DeSantis to run for president without having to resign his current position.
It marks the third straight year that Florida Republicans, who hold supermajorities in both chambers, have pushed through alterations to the state’s election laws. Democrats and critics decried parts of the bill they contend could upend voter registration efforts and called out the change that would guarantee that DeSantis wouldn’t have to resign his current job if he becomes the GOP nominee for president.
“Many in this body are doing the governor’s bidding,” state Rep. Angie Nixon, a Jacksonville Democrat, said on Friday during the final legislative debate on the measure. “If someone wants to run for president, let them. But don’t let the governor hold our state or hold Floridians hostage because of blind and drunk political ambition.”
Lawmakers introduced the provision to change to Florida’s “resign-to-run” law just days ago, although legislative leaders first announced their willingness to make changes last November right after DeSantis rolled to a crushing re-election victory and Republicans picked up a supermajority in the Legislature.
The move by GOP legislators comes shortly before DeSantis is expected to jump into the race for president in the next few weeks, even though he insisted to reporters during a visit to Israel on Thursday that he has not made a final decision. He has, however, traveled to many key early or battleground states like Ohio, New Hampshire, Georgia and South Carolina and has more than $110 million in donations.
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Florida Legislature passes bill allowing DeSantis to run for president as governor https://t.co/qgrXvQYbTZ
— POLITICO (@politico) April 28, 2023
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