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

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

Whoever DeSantis appoints to serve until 2026 will be eligible to run in that special election to serve until 2028, when another election will take place.

DeSantis can appoint whoever he wants to fill the seat, including himself or his wife Casey, and many names have already surfaced as potential replacements, barring a last-minute change of heart from Trump.

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Governor Ron DeSantis, left, and Senator Marco Rubio, right (Getty/Reuters)

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody

Moody is Florida’s Republican attorney general 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 being elected Attorney General, she has served as a Commissioner on the Presidential Commission on Law Enforcement and Justice. Moody also chaired Florida’s Statewide Task Force on Opioid Abuse.

U.S. District Judge Roy Altman

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

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 expires at the end of 2026.

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Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) walks onstage during Day 2 of the Republican National Convention (RNC), at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S., 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 GOP Sen. Katie Britt who told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that Trump would be a “great selection as the next senator for Florida.”

“She is a staunch conservative who just helped achieve a sweeping electoral mandate for Republicans in her role as co-chair of the RNC,” Britt explained.

“She understands—and has played a key role in building—the historic, big-tent America First coalition poised to get our nation back on track.” I know that as a fellow mother of school-age children, she brings firsthand perspective from parents across our country who want to preserve the American Dream for generations to come. We need more strong voices like hers at the Senate table. Lara Trump would be a tenacious fighter for the people of Florida and for hardworking people across America. I would like to see her appointed to this open seat.”

Former Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives Jose Oliva

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

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

Florida Lt. Governor Jeanette Nunez

Nuñez, an ally of DeSantis, is the first Hispanic female lieutenant governor of the state of Florida and a former representative of the Florida House. She served on 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 — as he fills Rubio’s seat,” 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 clout.”

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

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

“Whoever DeSantis selects will have big shoes to fill. Rubio made a big impression in Washington during his tenure, offering a thoughtful approach to policymaking.”

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