WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) b — Florida may have a vacant senate seat if Senator Marco Rubio accepts the President-elect’s possible nomination to join Trump’s cabinet.
On Monday, reports began to circle that President-elect Donald Trump is expected to name Rubio as the new Secretary of State.
The New York Times reports that while Trump “could change his mind at the last minute,” he appears to have keyed in on Rubio as he works to fill out his foreign policy and national security team. It is not yet clear if Trump has officially offered Rubio the role.
If Rubio, 53, does accept, it’s up to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to decide who the temporary successor will be.
The power to select a temporary successor comes from the 17th Amendment. Forty-five states, including Florida, authorized their Governors to fill a vacancy.
Florida is also listed as one of the 34 states where the governor’s pick to be a temporary senator who will serve until the general election, the CRS states. That means any successor would hold the position until January 2029.
The remaining 11 states require a stand-alone special election to fill the seat on an accelerated schedule rather than waiting for the next general election, the CRS says.
According to the Congressional Research Service (CRS), vacancies within the U.S. Senate can occur if the person dies, resigns, is expelled or if the Senate refuses to seat a Senator-elect.
