Florida’s Republican-controlled legislature passed a bill Friday that allows Gov. Ron DeSantis to run for president without resigning as governor, part of sweeping changes to the state’s election laws that come as DeSantis is reportedly expected to announce his entrance into the race in mid-June.
Florida’s House voted 76-34 to approve the legislation, days after it was approved in the Senate in a 28-12 vote along party lines, Politico reported.
The move makes good on a promise Florida’s Republican House and Senate leaders made in November, shortly after DeSantis’ resounding victory in the midterm election, to change the law so he could run for president.
The bill passed Friday nixes a provision in state law that says any elected lawmaker running for a new office has to step down from their current position before doing so.
The legislation also enforces a host of new voting protocols, including a disclaimer on voter registration cards that clarifies the card does not guarantee voting eligibility, changes to campaign finance deadlines and higher fines for outside voter registration groups.
Democrats criticized the bill as an attempt by Republicans to discourage minorities from voting, citing the new requirements for voter registration groups, which often handle the process for minorities. Democratic Rep. Angie Nixon also accused Republicans of “doing the governor’s bidding,” she told Politico, adding “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.”
Florida legislators changed the law in 2008 to allow former Gov. Charlie Crist to run for vice president, but re-implemented it four years ago.
DeSantis will reportedly launch a presidential exploratory committee in May, followed by a mid-June launch, but he told reporters in Israel on Thursday he has not made a final decision about whether he will enter the race. The Florida governor has been on a cross-country tour to promote his new book, “The Courage to Be Free,” while visiting key battleground states and raking in donations. He has suffered a series of political blows in recent weeks, however, including the majority of Florida’s GOP congressional delegation endorsing former President Donald Trump, who leads DeSantis by a whopping 46 points in a hypothetical GOP presidential primary, according to an Emerson College poll released Thursday. A number of GOP mega donors have also shied away from DeSantis, including New York billionaire John Catsimatidis, who said Wednesday he would not support DeSantis. Citadel hedge fund founder Ken Griffin, who lauded DeSantis in November, is also reconsidering supporting him, the New York Times reported Tuesday, citing sources close to Griffin who said DeSantis’ comments that the Russia-Ukraine war is a “territorial” dispute were a key concern.
Billionaire GOP Donor Says He Won’t Support DeSantis Because Florida Gov. ‘Doesn’t Even Return Phone Calls’ (Forbes)
Trump Leads DeSantis By 46 Points In Widest Margin Yet (Forbes)
Trump Now Claims Endorsements From Majority Of Florida’s GOP Congress Members (Forbes)
