‘Incredible’: Jay Collins addresses potential 2026 run for Governor

Could a state Senator from Hillsborough County be the state’s next Governor?

Jay Collins isn’t ruling it out, if an appearance on “The Dana Show” is any indication.

“Look, it’s incredible,” Collins said. “Only in a nation as great as ours, can that rumor even be a thing to be thrown out, you know, as someone who’s a potential …. guy who comes after Ron DeSantis, that’s a big statement. And, man, it doesn’t hit with softness. It hits with exactly what it should. It’s meaningful coming from people.”

The Senator clearly signaled that he’s considering a run.

“When you’re talking about jobs like this or opportunities like this, I owe our state, our people, my family, our community, that due diligence to look into it, to make sure that that’s something that’s good for my wife and kids … good for my local community, good for our state … good for Governor DeSantis and the people around us. And if all those things come into alignment, then it’s something you look at,” Collins said.

However, he’s urging people not “to put the cart before the horse.”

“You know, there’s no one that’s been tapped or tagged or anything else. There’s opportunities, and more than anything, we’ve just got to make sure we make a difference,” Collins said.

The Senator has made the rounds of DeSantis-friendly media this week, advocating for the Governor and First Lady Casey DeSantis as a controversial use of Hope Florida Foundation monies for political purposes continues to cloud her prospects to be a candidate in the Republican Primary against U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds.

Based on his staunch advocacy for the First Family that has been showcased on very DeSantis-friendly media outlets, Collins seems to be positioning himself as the backup option should Casey DeSantis ultimately shy away from running against the Donald Trump-endorsed Congressman from Naples.