The massive reshuffle of Florida Republicans in Washington D.C. continues, as at least two more House Republicans are pitching themselves for a promotion.
Florida Reps. Cory Mills and Kat Cammack are publicly vying for the Senate seat that will be vacated if Marco Rubio is confirmed as secretary of state — one-member House majority be damned.
The tiny Republican majority is, after all, in part thanks to President-elect Donald Trump’s promotions of other members in the delegation. The House lost two Florida Republicans to the administration: first with the failed nomination of Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz — who promptly resigned from the House — and then with Trump’s nomination of Rep. Mike Waltz as National Security Advisor. Elections to replace them won’t take place until April.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who gets to appoint a senator to serve until the next statewide election in 2026, told reporters Monday he’d spoken to both Mills and Cammack in recent days about the Senate seat, but didn’t sound eager to put Speaker Mike Johnson in the bind of losing another GOP vote in the first few months of Trump’s presidency.
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“It’s just a big practical concern, it’s not anything that any of these guys have any control over, it’s not their fault. But that’s just the reality that we’re dealing with. I don’t want to do anything to inhibit getting the agenda accomplished,” DeSantis said.
Both Mills and Cammack took to X after the governor’s comments to declare their doors for the post still open.
“I’m eagerly looking forward to President-elect Trump’s inauguration on January 20th, and the opportunity to roll up my sleeves and continue to work for Florida in either capacity,” Cammack wrote.
“We will have to see what the Governor decides. Either way, it’s an honor to be considered,” Mills echoed. He has also announced plans to run for the seat in 2026, regardless of whether he’s nominated by DeSantis.
The governor seemed to side-eye that plan to reporters Monday.
“People are free to do what they want. I think generally speaking, if somebody is appointed and does a good job, I don’t think that they’re going to be somebody that you’re gonna be able to successfully challenge in a Republican primary,” DeSantis said. “I’m sure if he happened to be appointed, I don’t think he would necessarily want someone doing it. But that’s fine.”
In general, DeSantis has not been consulting members of Congress about his decision. Sen. Rick Scott told NOTUS on Thursday that the governor had not called him at all about who his next colleague could be.
DeSantis said Monday he plans to make an appointment “very soon” and that he plans to announce no later than Jan. 21.
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Claire Heddles is a NOTUS reporter and an Allbritton Journalism Institute fellow.
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