Collins Named Florida’s Next Lieutenant Governor

TAMPA — Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday appointed Republican state Sen. Jay Collins as Florida’s next lieutenant governor, filling the vacancy left when Jeanette Nuñez resigned in February to become interim president of Florida International University. Nuñez has since been confirmed as FIU’s permanent president.

Collins, a former U.S. Army Green Beret who lost a leg in service and later returned to active duty, has represented Senate District 14 since 2022. A staunch DeSantis ally, he flipped the district red that year by defeating incumbent Democrat Janet Cruz with 55% of the vote to her 45%. At the time, the newly redrawn district was considered competitive, with Democrats holding a narrow registration edge of about 5,000 voters over Republicans and a large share of nonpartisan voters.

The appointment comes as speculation grows over who might succeed the term-limited DeSantis in 2026. Collins’ elevation positions him as a potential contender in a Republican primary that could also include U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, who has the backing of former President Donald Trump.

Collins’s new role creates an open seat in the Florida Senate that will presumably be filled through a special election. The district has shifted toward Republicans since 2022, with the conservative party now holding a registration advantage of about 21,000 voters.

Democrat Brian Nathan filed this week to run in Senate District 14 in the 2026 cycle. It remains to be seen whether he will file for the expected special election to replace Collins.

Republican Amaro Lionheart is also filed for the seat. Lionheart has raised no money since first filing nearly a year ago, but has loaned himself about $50,000.

Speculation abounds that DeSantis will support Collins’s wife, Layla Collins, who ran unsuccessfully for Hillsborough County School Board in 2024. She was defeated by Nadia Combs, who continues to represent Western Hillsborough County on the School Board.