Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) chose Republican state Sen. Jay Collins to be the state’s next lieutenant governor, ending a six-month absence. Former Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez left the role in February to assume the position of interim president of Florida International University.

Collins was first elected to Florida’s Republican-dominated state Senate in 2022 and has been seen as one of DeSantis’ key allies in the Legislature. In recent months, GOP legislators loyal to the president have increasingly sparred with the governor, who challenged Trump for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.