A.G. Gancarski
Will Florida’s appointed Lieutenant Governor actually run for Gov. Ron DeSantis’ job? That remains to be seen, Jay Collins said on Sean Hannity’s radio show.
“We’ll continue to assess, but in the end, I’m really hyperfocused on my job as Lieutenant Governor right now,” the Tampa Republican said.
Collins continues to punt on the only question that matters as the 2026 election cycle heats up, dodging inquiries into his political intentions even as he’s willing to serve up monologues on all manner of other subjects.
He offered no window into what his assessment process looks like during the national radio showcase.
Meanwhile, others are doing much more than assessing.
First among them: Donald Trump’s pick, U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds of Naples.
He has hauled in nearly $23 million in his eponymous Friends of Byron Donalds political committee, and also has raised close to $2 million to his campaign account.
Those are big numbers, but not everyone is scared off.
Former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner is close to announcing, says a person involved with event planning for a “meet and greet” next month for the Northeast Florida Republican where he talks about his “vision for Florida’s Future” and the 2026 Governor’s race.
“Give him a week,” Florida Politics was told, putting Renner on track for a post Labor Day launch if that timeline holds.
Whether Collins is stalling because First Lady Casey DeSantis is still mulling her own campaign or not is known best to the Governor’s inner circle.
It remains to be seen how regular Collins’ national media showcases will be without some forward motion, though.
History tells us few LGs get showcases, even during holiday weeks, on such prime real estate for very long.
And even the red-meat stories of Harjinder Singh and Alligator Alcatraz are one hurricane warning away from disappearing from the headlines, never to return.
