Laurel Lee part of conversation for Marco Rubio’s Senate seat

Add U.S. Rep. Laurel Lee to the list of potential successors if U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio becomes Secretary of State.

Lee, Thonotosassa Republican, just won a second term as a U.S. Representative. But if Rubio leaves his seat to join President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will choose a Senate successor.

Asked about interest, those in Lee’s orbit did not shoot down the possibility of a move to the upper chamber.

“The Congresswoman is honored that she is a part of the conversation,” said Sarah Bascom, a spokesperson for Lee. “Senator Rubio has served with great distinction and our country is very lucky to have him as our future Secretary of State.”

Lee boasts a positive history of working with DeSantis in government and on the campaign trail. The Governor previously appointed her as Florida Secretary of State. Lee ultimately left that post in 2022 to run for her seat in Congress after a map designed by DeSantis placed a new congressional district that included her east Hillsborough County home community.

Significantly, when DeSantis ran for President, Lee was the only member of Florida’s congressional delegation to endorse the Governor for the Republican nomination over Trump. When DeSantis suspended his campaign and endorsed Trump, Lee immediately followed suit.

While Trump’s preference has been widely reported, he has yet to formally name Rubio as his Secretary of State. The position requires Senate confirmation. While the Senate has a history of confirming members of its body to Cabinet posts, Rubio likely won’t resign his seat for some time.

Presuming that occurs, DeSantis will name a successor to Rubio who will serve for the next two years. A Special Election will occur in 2026 that will determine who serves the final two years of Rubio’s current term.

Plenty of other names are also in the mix, including Republican National Committee Co-Chair Lara Trump, Attorney General Ashley Moody and DeSantis Chief of Staff James Uthmeier, as well as other members of the Florida Cabinet and Florida congressional delegation.

Many selections could set off other appointments or elections. For example, if DeSantis chose Moody, that could create an opening for Attorney General, and Lee has also been discussed as a potential appointee for that post.