Gov. Ron DeSantis is passing up yet another opportunity to endorse his appointed Lieutenant Governor to succeed him.
When asked about when he might formally back Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, who finally launched his campaign after months of dithering, DeSantis spoke for more than eight minutes on subjects ranging from the political evolution of the state since 2016 to legislative expectations without directly addressing the question.
“Look, I’ve been focused on, you know, delivering the State of the State, making sure that our priorities are going,” DeSantis said.
“There’ll be time to do the political stuff. What I would just say is we have a record of success here in Florida. Obviously, I went through all the metrics and all the achievements. You know, we’ve got more to do, and we’ll definitely run through the tape on that. But, you know, if I were one of those guys (running), I would say, ‘Here’s how I supported the success Florida’s had. And here’s what I’ll do to build on it going forward.’ And I would, you know, articulate things that you want to tackle. So we’ll see how that goes.”
DeSantis made the comments Wednesday at Seminole High School, in his second refusal to endorse the man he used to call the “Chuck Norris of Florida Politics.” On Tuesday, DeSantis told radio host Jenna Ellis that Collins and former House Speaker Paul Renner “have got to get out there and make the case.”
“I get involved in Primaries when I have someone I believe in, and someone that really reflects what I think the state needs, and that is really bold in that,” DeSantis said Tuesday. “That’s just something people have to prove as they announce candidacies and get out there and do it.”
