Donald Trump’s decision to nominate Sen. Marco Rubio for the role of secretary of state has created a conundrum over who Gov. Ron DeSantis will pick to fill the vacant seat.
Republican voters have a very clear answer: Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law, Lara.
She is one of the leading names in the mix after earning high praise for guiding the Republican National Committee through the election campaign.
And an exclusive JL Partners poll for DailyMail.com shows 59 percent of Republicans support her elevation to the Senate.
About 36 percent say they ‘strongly’ support the idea, while only ten percent are against.
According to the poll of 1,006 registered voters, reactions among the broader public are more mixed.
A total of 33 percent are in favor of sending her to the Senate, while 30 percent are against.
The decision rests with Florida’s governor, and DeSantis’ team has made clear it will take time to evaluate potential choices.
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Lara Trump, who is married to Donald Trump’s son Eric, is in a position to fill the Senate seat that will become vacant when Senator Marco Rubio becomes secretary of state.
Trump and Republican National Committee co-chair Lara Trump on the final day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum, Thursday, July 18
James Johnson, co-founder of JL Partners, said the survey results show what DeSantis should do.
“Republican voters are behind the Trumps and they think Lara Trump should be the Senate replacement in Florida,” he said.
“If you look at this data, there is little to no chance of a voter backlash.
That may not be a surprise after the personal mandate that these voters have just given to Donald Trump, but it does show that Ron Desantis’ interests – both in keeping Trump and the Republican foot soldiers on side – may well undermine Lara’s appointment. Trump could mean.’
A potential complication arose this week with reports that Trump was considering DeSantis for the role of defense secretary after his pick, former Fox News host Pete Hegseth, appeared headed for a difficult confirmation amid reports of heavy drinking and misconduct (allegations which he denies).
Regardless, DeSantis himself has said he will make the decision in early January.
But his rocky relationship with Trump and his own ambitions add layer upon layer of intrigue.
One theory was that he could make his own way to the Senate, either appointing himself or stepping aside as governor (he is term-limited and cannot run again) and have his replacement send him to Washington sends.
A seat in the Florida Senate will open up as Marco Rubio joins the Trump administration
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has the responsibility to fill the seat. He has said he will make his decision at the start of Florida. But he has been linked to the role of Secretary of Defense, further confusing a possible round of musical chairs in Florida
Or he could appoint a placeholder to fill out the end of Rubio’s term before running for office when Rubio is up for re-election in 2026, giving him a shot at the presidency two years later.
However, insiders told NBC News that the governor was not interested in pursuing a Senate seat.
That suggests his choice is due to Lara Trump, whose name was quickly suggested by Trump allies, or someone who is not Lara Trump.
“DeSantis knows what is expected of him,” said a source familiar with the thinking at Mar-a-Lago.
Electing Lara would indicate that the DeSantis’ truce with Trump will hold after their bitter election scrap.
But he has plenty of local options if he wants to take one of his closest allies to the next level.
His number two, Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez, is an obvious choice. Other names floating around include Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody and former Speaker of the Florida House Paul Renner.
That gives Lara Trump the most national name recognition and some of the most high-profile endorsements.
Senator Rick Scott, who preceded DeSantis as governor of Florida, wrote on To Make America Great. Again. @LaraLeaTrump is that person.”
For her part, Trump has shown interest.
“If I were asked this, I would seriously consider it, but I have not heard from Governor DeSantis yet. So we’ll see what happens,” she said last month.