President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) as secretary of state means that his seat will soon become vacant. While Rubio has not been formally confirmed by the Senate, his confirmation is a near certainty.
Florida’s senatorial vacancies are filled by the governor, in this case, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R). The new senator will then serve until the 2026 midterm elections, in which they will run to complete Rubio’s term to 2028.
Florida has undergone a rapid shift over the past decade. In 2018, DeSantis won the governorship by 0.4 percent. Now, the GOP controls all statewide offices and has supermajorities in the legislature. Plus, it’s the home state of many of Trump’s cabinet picks, including Trump himself.
DeSantis has lots of choices for senator. However, one name stands out above the pack: Lara Trump, the wife of Eric Trump. Mrs. Trump, who successfully helmed the Republican National Committee during the 2024 election cycle, recently stepped down from her post, sparking rumors that she is seriously being considered to fill Rubio’s seat.
Mrs. Trump has thin connections to Florida; her family purchased a house there in 2021, though in that same year, she was considering a Senate run in her birth state of North Carolina.
Nearly four years later, the situation has changed dramatically. Her father-in-law is now the undisputed leader of the Republican Party, and with only one term left, he may wish to see the Trump name continue in politics. With Florida’s dramatic shift to the right, Senator Lara Trump would likely easily win both the 2026 and 2028 elections — extending the Trump family’s presence in the halls of power at least into the 2030s, years after Trump leaves the White House.
There is reason to assume DeSantis might be inclined to make the appointment. Having run for president already, he likely still nurses presidential ambitions; appointing Lara Trump could help smooth over lingering anger from staunch Trump supporters who were frustrated with his campaign. And it could also help restore his relationship with Trump, who has reportedly personally urged DeSantis to appoint his daughter-in-law.
