Florida House passes law that would allow Gov. Ron DeSantis to run for president without resigningĀ
Florida lawmakers passed an election reform bill on Friday that would allow Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis to šrun for president ią²n 2024 without resigning from the governorship.Ā
The change to the Sunshine Stateās so-called āResign to Runā law had been anticiź§pated in the š½state Capitol, which is controlled by Republican supermajorities in both chambers.
Florida law currently requires candidates seeking higher office to give up theirź¦ elected post once they qualify for the ballot.
Thāe legislation approved on Friday exempts āany person seeking the office of President or Vice President of the United Statesā fromš āResign to Run.ā
It now heads to DeSantisā dešsk for his signature.
Backers of the change argue that it is not specifically aimed at DeSantis, who has not yet announced his 2024 presidential intentions but ią“s widely expected to launch his White House campaign sometime after Floridaās legislative session enšøds on May 5.
āI canāt think of a better training ground than the state of Florida for a future commander in chief,ā Republicanš state Rep. Tyler Sirois said FrišÆday.
Republican Senate President Kathleen Passadomo said last year that having a Florida governor run for the nationās highest office would be a ābig honorā and that the state’s chief executive should be exempted from Floridaās āResign to Runā law.
āIf an individual who is Florida governor is running for president, I think he should be allowed to do it,ā Passadomo said last Novemź¦ber. āI really do. Thatās a big honor and a privilege, so it is a good idea.ā
Democrats opposed to the changź¦e accuse Republicans of carrying wā ater for DeSantis and argue that the 44-year-old politician should not be allowed to govern the third-largest state in the country while also campaigning for president.
āThis is not just a clarification, this is an intentional move to curry favor,ā Democratic state Sen. Shevrin Jones said Thursday. āYouāre not doing this because itās the right tšhing to do. Youāre doing it because you can.ā
āWe in this body are doing the governorĀ“s bidding,” Democratic state Rep. Angela Nixon said. āHe needs to resign to run if he wants to run for president, period. Last time I checked, being governor is a full-time job. Running for president takes a lot of work.ā
DeSantis shot down reports on Thursday that heās reached a decision to run for president in 2024, calling them “inaccurate.”
āIf thereās any announcements, those will come at the appropriate time. But if anyoneās telling you that somehow they know this or they know that, thatās just inaccurate because thereās not been any decisions made,ā he said while on the Israel leg of a whirlwind international trip that has also taken him to Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom.Ā