f lorida Gov. Ron DeSantis is widely expected to run for president in 2024, but a state law bars him from doing so if he doesn’t resign as governor first.
The state’s legislative session began Tuesday, and a long list of bills are already on the docket for the next two months, except for a bill that would target the Resign-to-Run law, Florida’s Speaker of the House’s office confirmed with the Daily Caller News Foundation. The law would require DeSantis to resign from office before “qualifying” for a presidential run, but the legislature must clarify what the qualifications are, and the time to do so is now, Florida political experts told the DCNF.
“When is a person qualified, under Florida law, to be president of the United States?” Jaime Miller, former executive director of the Florida Republican Party, told the DCNF. “I think they will do it this session because there is a timeliness issue.”
Many believe DeSantis will make a presidential decision once this legislative session concludes in May, so it would make sense for the legislature to address this bill before then.
The Resign-to-Run law was altered in 2007 when then-Gov. Charlie Crist sought the vice presidency, but was changed back in 2018 by then-Gov. Rick Scott, once again restricting Florida office-holders from seeking federal positions without resigning first.
