Florida Republicans proposed an amendment to the states’ “Resign to Run” law that would allow for Governor Ron DeSantis to run for president without giving up his office.
Mr DeSantis is largely expected to run for president after the state legislature’s current session wraps up. But many have wondered whether Mr DeSantis would need to give up his office to seek the presidency.
The new proposed amendment says that “persons seeking the office of President or Vice President of the United States” will not have to resign to run. Politico reporter Gary Fine recently noted that Mr DeSantis would not have to resign to seek the presidency; Florida state senator Danny Burgess said the senate wanted to clarify the law in casee Mr DeSantis does run.
Mr DeSantis has made little secret about his intention to seek the White House. Earlier this week, he ventured to Japan as part of a four-country trip that included the United Kingdom, Israel and South Korea.
But former president Donald Trump has relentlessly attacked Mr DeSantis, calling the governor “DeSanctimonious” and accusing him of wanting to cut Social Security and Medicare.
The governor also lags behind Mr Trump in polling. An NBC News poll this week revealed that 46 per cent of Republican primary voters support Mr Trump compared to the 31 per cent who back Mr DeSantis. Former vice president Mike Pence is the next closest candidate at 6 per cent, while former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott and former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson all garner three per cent of voters.
Mr Trump leads with Republican primary voters without a college education, those who identify as “very conservative” and voters between the ages of 50 and 64, as well as those who see themselves as supporters of Mr Trump rather than the Republican Party as a whole. Mr DeSantis so far has not won a majority of any major Republican demographic but does well with young voters and those who see themselves more as Republicans than Trump supporters.
