DeSantis on Tuesday appointed Collins as his lieutenant governor, a largely ceremonial position that has been vacant since February, when former Lt. Gov. Jeanette Núñez left the post to become president of Florida International University.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis tapped Republican state Sen. Jay Collins to be his next lieutenant governor Tuesday. It’s a closely watched appointment by the two-term governor, who can’t run for reelection in 2026 and has been working to cement his legacy as his time leading the state winds down.