Ron DeSantis says ‘dust still settling’ but LG, CFO picks to happen ‘relatively soon’

Gov. Ron DeSantis does not appear to be in a rush to pick replacements for former Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez and former Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis.

“I did say I wanted to get through the Legislative Session and see how the dust settled. Obviously, dust is still settling,” DeSantis said Monday in Tampa, alluding to the fact that the 2025-2026 state budget hasn’t been passed yet by the Legislature.

Patronis resigned the position earlier this year to run for Congress. He won that election on April 1.

Nuñez became the interim president of Florida International University on February 7. Since then, she has been made permanent head of the university.

DeSantis suggests that the appointment will be “relatively soon,” but timing depends on the Legislature doing its job.

“Now, it doesn’t mean at this juncture that I couldn’t do anything before a budget gets laid on the desk, but I also just am mindful that there still there’s still work to be done, and I just want to make sure that we kind of see that process through. But we will do it, and that will happen, you know, relatively soon,” DeSantis said on Monday.

Asked about the vacancy on April 1, DeSantis suggested the opening would be filled expeditiously.

“We will have an Acting (CFO) through April. We will appoint somebody in May that will be the full-time official,” DeSantis said.

An acting CFO has not been announced, but it could be Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, one of the Governor’s staunchest allies.

The LG opening may be less pressing to fill, given that the primary job function of the LG is to stay alive in case of death or incapacity of the Governor.

Former Gov. Rick Scott waited 10 months to fill the opening created by Jennifer Carroll’s resignation during his time in office.