Here’s what happens to Senator Rubio’s seat when he becomes Secretary of State and who might replace him

President-elect Trump is expected to nominate Republican Senator Marco Rubio as Secretary of State, Fox News Digital reports reported this weekand shifts focus to the state of Florida, where Gov. Ron DeSantis will be tasked with appointing a successor in the Senate.

Rubio was re-elected in 2022 to serve another six-year term in the Senate, meaning DeSantis’ decision to replace him would keep him in office until a special election in 2026 that will determine who will serve in the final Rubio’s seat is two years into his term.

Whoever DeSantis appoints to serve until 2026 will be eligible to run in this special election for the office until 2028, when another election is held.

DeSantis can appoint anyone he wishes to fill the seat, including himself or his wife Casey, and many names have already emerged as potential successors unless Trump changes his mind at the last minute.

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Ashley Moody, Florida Attorney General

Moody is the Republican attorney general of Florida and has served in that role since 2019. The state’s Republican 38th attorney general was re-elected in 2022 after defeating Democrat Aramis Ayala.

Since her election as Attorney General, she has been Commissioner of the Presidential Commission for Law Enforcement and Justice Administration. Moody also chaired Florida’s statewide opioid abuse task force.

U.S. District Judge Roy Altman

“A lot of Republican senators are talking about Judge Roy Altman as Marco Rubio’s successor,” said Fox News correspondent Lucas Tomlinson reported on Tuesday. “He is a Trump-appointed judge in South Florida, a Venezuelan immigrant and a Yale Law graduate.”

DeSantis Chief of Staff James Uthmeier

Uthmeier previously served as DeSantis’ chief of staff and campaign manager for his presidential campaign. Some have speculated that Uthmeir could serve as a placeholder in the Senate for two years, after which DeSantis could run for the seat after his term as governor ends at the end of 2026.

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Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) takes the stage on the second day of the Republican National Convention (RNC) at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, July 16, 2024. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)

Republican National Committee co-chair Lara Trump

Many have suggested that Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara should be considered for the position, including Alabama Republican Sen. Katie Britt, who told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that Trump was a “great choice to be the next senator for Florida.”

“She is a staunch conservative who, in her role as co-chair of the RNC, just helped give Republicans a broad electoral mandate,” Britt said.

“She understands – and has played – a key role in building the historic America First coalition to get our nation back on the right path. I know that as a fellow mother of school-age children, she brings firsthand.” The perspective of parents across our country who want to preserve the American Dream for generations to come would be a tenacious fighter for Floridians and hard-working people everywhere America. D I am pleased that she has been appointed to this vacant position.”

Former Florida House of Representatives Speaker Jose Oliva

Oliva served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2011 to 2020 and was Speaker of the House for the last two years.

In 2023, DeSantis Oliva appointed for a seven-year term on the Florida Board of Governors.

Florida Governor Jeanette Nunez

Nuñez, a DeSantis ally, is the first Hispanic lieutenant governor of the state of Florida and a former Florida House representative. She was a member of the Statewide Human Trafficking Council and was a member of the South Florida Human Trafficking Task Force for Super Bowl LIV.

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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks on Day 2 of the Republican National Convention (RNC) at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, July 16, 2024. (Mike Segar/Reuters)

“DeSantis has a unique opportunity to shape Florida’s future — and perhaps his own — if he takes Rubio’s place,” Rob Bluey, president and editor-in-chief of The Daily Signal, told Fox News Digital. “Whether he takes the job himself or appoints someone else, the state’s next senator will command national attention given Florida’s growing political influence.”

Bluey added that DeSantis “has no shortage of options from his own administration or Florida’s congressional delegation.”

“Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez has stood by DeSantis since his first run for governor in 2018. There are also several rising stars from the House of Representatives, such as Reps. Byron Donalds, Kat Cammack and Matt Gaetz. He could also choose his wife, “Casey, or even Lara Trump,” Bluey said.

“Whoever DeSantis chooses will have big shoes to fill. Rubio made a big splash in Washington during his time in office and offered a thoughtful approach to policymaking.”

Fox News Digital reached out to DeSantis’ office for comment but did not receive a response.