Florida Senate passes election bill repealing ‘resign to run’
Jack Birle
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The Florida Senate passed an election bill that was amended to include a provision partially repealing the state’s “resign to run” provision.
The election bill passed the state Senate by a vote of 28-12, and a similar bill in the state House is expected to be voted on Friday.
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Senate Bill 7050 includes various provisions regarding elections in the Sunshine State, but an amendment added to the bill Wednesday would get rid of the requirement that state officeholders resign if they are running for president or vice president.
Florida law regarding “resign to run” has changed multiple times in recent decades. The provision was repealed in 2008 when then-Gov. Charlie Crist was on the short list to be GOP presidential nominee John McCain’s running mate. The law was reinstated in a 2018 election bill, which then-Gov. Rick Scott signed.
If passed in the state House and signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), the amendment could go into effect on July 1.
The bill would allow DeSantis to run for president without having to give up his position as governor before winning.
DeSantis is widely expected to announce a White House bid sometime after the state’s legislative session concludes next month. The Florida governor is polling consistently in second place behind former President Donald Trump in the GOP primary, and recent polls show him leading in a general election matchup with President Joe Biden.
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The Florida governor has not said whether he will run for president, but he has hinted that his status could change in the future.
“I’m not a candidate, so we’ll see if and when that changes,” DeSantis told reporters during a trip in Japan on Monday.