TAMPA, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis announced during a Tuesday press conference in Tampa that State Sen. Jay Collins will serve as Florida’s next lieutenant governor.
Collins, 47, a former Green Beret and strong DeSantis supporter in the Senate, is known for his firm stance on gun rights and advocacy for veterans.
He has pushed legislation to increase access to firearms, reverse some of the gun control measures passed after the 2018 Parkland shooting, and reduce the minimum age to buy a gun in Florida back to 18.
It’s a closely watched appointment by the two-term governor, who can’t run for reelection in 2026 and has been working to cement his legacy as his time leading the state winds down.
If Collins, an Army combat veteran and nonprofit executive, decides to launch a bid to succeed DeSantis, the move could tee up another proxy fight between the popular GOP governor and President Donald Trump, who has already endorsed Republican Congressman Byron Donalds for the job.
The seat has been vacant since February, when then-lieutenant governor Jeanette Nuñez was appointed to lead one of the state’s public universities.
In Florida, the lieutenant governor position is largely ceremonial with few official responsibilities, apart from taking over if the governor cannot serve.
Collins was first elected to Florida’s Republican-dominated state Senate in 2022 and has been seen as one of DeSantis’ key allies in the Legislature.
In recent months, GOP legislators loyal to the president have increasingly sparred with the governor, who challenged Trump for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.
Born in Montana, Collins has talked openly about personal challenges he has overcome, including experiencing homelessness while in high school.
He went on to join the Army Special Forces and ultimately lost a leg, but continued to serve five more years as a Green Beret post-amputation, according to a campaign biography.
The appointment is seen as a way for DeSantis to elevate a potential successor in 2026, though the governor has repeatedly talked up his wife, Casey DeSantis, for the job, while taking shots at Trump’s pick.
Watch the press conference in the video below.
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