The 2026 United States Senate special election in Florida is expected be held on November 3, 2026, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the state of Florida, to fill in the last two years of Republican senator Marco Rubio’s term, who will resign if confirmed as the United States secretary of state under President-elect Donald Trump’s second administration.[1]
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According to Florida law, if a U.S. Senate seat becomes vacant, the governor has authority to appoint a temporary replacement until the next general election. The appointee holds the position until the vacancy is filled by a special election during the next general election cycle, which, in this case, is scheduled for November 3, 2026.[2] Governor Ron DeSantis has not announced a replacement for this seat yet,[3] but has stated that a selection will be "likely made by the beginning of January 2025".[4]
This will be the first U.S. Senate special election in Florida since two elections in 1936.
Given Florida's history as a closely contested state and the lack of an incumbent in a favorable environment for Democrats, some experts believe this race may be competitive. However, with Florida's recent rightward trend, most analysts expect Republicans to win.[who?]
Republican primary
editInterim appointment candidates
editPublicly expressed interest
edit- Ashton Hayward, former mayor of Pensacola (2011–2018)[5]
- Matt Gaetz, former U.S. representative from Florida's 1st congressional district (2017–2024)[6]
Potential
edit- Jay Collins, state senator[7]
- Casey DeSantis, First Lady of Florida (2019–present)[8]
- Ron DeSantis, Governor of Florida (2019–present)[8]
- Cory Mills, U.S. representative from Florida's 7th congressional district (2023–present)[9]
- Ashley Moody, Florida attorney general (2019–present)[10]
- Jeanette Nuñez, Lieutenant Governor of Florida (2019–present)[8][10]
- José Oliva, former speaker of the Florida House of Representatives (2018–2020) from the 110th district (2011–2020)[10]
- James Uthmeier, chief of staff to governor Ron DeSantis[8]
Declined
edit- Lara Trump, former co-chair of the Republican National Committee (2024) and daughter-in-law of president Donald Trump[11]
Democratic primary
editCandidates
editDeclined
edit- Jared Moskowitz, U.S. representative from Florida's 23rd congressional district (2023–present)[12] (running for re-election)[13]
Libertarian Party
editCandidates
editPublicly expressed interest
edit- Roger Stone, political consultant[14]
Notes
edit- ^ Marco Rubio was nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to be the United States Secretary of State in his second cabinet. Once confirmed by the Senate, he will vacate his Senate seat, and Governor Ron DeSantis will appoint an interim successor.
References
edit- ^ Beggin, Riley. "Trump taps Marco Rubio for Secretary of State". USA TODAY. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
- ^ "Chapter 100 Section 161 - 2024 Florida Statutes". m.flsenate.gov. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
- ^ "Rubio departure would give DeSantis power to choose interim Florida senator". WFTS-TV. November 12, 2024. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
- ^ Gancarski, A.G. (November 18, 2024). "Gov. DeSantis to fill Senate seat by beginning of January, currently vetting candidates". Florida Politics. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
- ^ Little, Jim (November 14, 2024). "Campaign to replace Matt Gaetz in Congress starting to take shape". Pensacola News Journal. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
- ^ Jones, Kipp (December 22, 2024). "Matt Gaetz Floats Senate Run While Calling Out GOP Lawmakers Who Opposed Him for AG". Mediaite. Retrieved December 22, 2024.
- ^ Caputo, Liv (November 18, 2024). "Fmr. Green Beret Jay Collins Emerges as Possible Candidate to Replace Rubio". The Floridian. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to decide U.S. Senate replacement if Marco Rubio joins Trump's Cabinet". CBS News. November 12, 2024. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
- ^ Manjarres, Javier (November 14, 2024). "Cory Mills Floated as Potential Senate Replacement for Marco Rubio". The Floridian. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
- ^ a b c Leonard, Kimberly; Fineout, Gary (November 12, 2024). "Trump just handed ex-rival DeSantis some powerful decisions". Politico. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
- ^ "Lara Trump removes herself from consideration for Florida Senate, ending speculation". The Associated Press. December 22, 2024. Retrieved December 22, 2024 – via WPDE-TV.
- ^ Solender, Andrew (November 27, 2024). "Scoop: A huge wave of House members is eyeing runs for other offices in 2026". Axios. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
- ^ Adragna, Anthony (December 17, 2024). "Moskowitz brushes aside FEMA reports". Politico. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
'I am staying in Congress and running for re-election,' Moskowitz (D-Fla.) said
- ^ "Roger Stone Says He Will Challenge Ron DeSantis For U.S. Senate Seat In Florida". www.msn.com. Retrieved November 20, 2024.