Florida lawmakers pass bill allowing DeSantis to run for president without resigning

Florida lawmakers on Friday approved reforms to the state's "resign to run" requirements that would allow Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis to seek the presidency without resigning from his post.

The state requires candidates to resign from their elected posts once they qualify for the ballot when seeking higher office, CNN reported. Lawmakers approved revising the measure to exclude "any person seeking the office of President or Vice President of the United States."

DeSantis was reelected to a second term in the 2022 midterms in a landslide victory over Democrat Charlie Crist. He has since generated considerable attention as a possible challenger to former President Donald Trump for the Republican nomination and consistently places second in most polls.

Should the Florida governor pursue a presidential bid and ultimately triumph in the general election, he would assume the nation's top job midway through his gubernatorial term. State Democrats excoriated the decision as a transparent bid to cozy up to the governor.

"This is not just a clarification, this is an intentional move to curry favor. You’re not doing this because it’s the right thing to do. You’re doing it because you can," state Sen. Shevrin Jones, D, said Thursday, per the outlet.

DeSantis this week disputed reports that he intends to soon announce a presidential bid, saying "[i]f there’s any announcements, those will come at the appropriate time. But if anyone’s telling you that somehow they know this or they know that, that’s just inaccurate because there’s not been any decisions made."

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.