When he returns from a trade mission to Italy, Gov. Ron DeSantis will likely face decisions on choosing a successor to U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio and calling a special election to replace U.S. Rep. Mike Waltz.

President-elect Donald Trump has reportedly selected Rubio, R-Fla., as secretary of state and announced Tuesday that Waltz, R-Fla., will serve as national security adviser.

While no official announcement on Rubio’s selection had been made as of Tuesday afternoon, it would lead to a closely watched decision by DeSantis on the nomination of a U.S. senator for a term that would last until the 2026 elections. A special election will also be needed are to choose a replacement for Waltz in Congressional District 6, which consists of all or parts of Flagler, Lake, Marion, Putnam, St. Johns and Volusia counties.

Rubio’s term ends in 2028, but DeSantis’ appointee would serve until an election is held in 2026. Rumors swirled Tuesday about potential appointees such as Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nunez and Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody. Appointing a current officeholder like Nunez or Moody would lead to more changes in state politics.

“I think there are a number of names floating around, from the lieutenant governor to the attorney general,” said Evan Power, chairman of the Republican Party of Florida. “So there are a few names floating around. But I think the governor will make that decision. And if they disappear, we have to replenish them, and then the dominoes will start.”

Along with Nunez and Moody, there was early speculation about possible selections, including former Florida House Speaker Jose Oliva, U.S. Rep. Laurel Lee and James Uthmeier, DeSantis’ chief of staff.

“These are some of the big names,” University of Central Florida political science professor Aubrey Jewett said. “Of course, there may be many more, as Florida has a very large group of Republicans today.”

The most recent time a Florida governor appointed a U.S. senator was in 2009. Then-Gov. Charlie Crist appointed George LeMieux, his former chief of staff and top political adviser, to complete the term of retiring U.S. Senator Mel Martinez.

President-elect Donald Trump is expected to appoint Florida Sen. Marco Rubio as secretary of state for his administration in the coming days, according to three sources familiar with the selection process.

Uthmeier played a key role in DeSantis’ failed presidential campaign and chaired two political committees that helped defeat proposed constitutional amendments on recreational marijuana and abortion rights last week. DeSantis led the effort to reject the amendments.

Another piece of speculation was that DeSantis would resign, with Nunez, who would then become governor, naming him as Rubio’s successor. That would make him the incumbent in the 2026 Senate race.

“Watch DeSantis appoint himself to replace Rubio,” Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, posted on the social media site

Jewett said he doesn’t think this scenario is likely, “as DeSantis still has presidential ambitions and sees himself as a CEO and not one of a hundred lawmakers.” DeSantis, who is on the trade mission to Italy this week, has two years left in his term as governor.

Jewett also doesn’t expect First Lady Casey DeSantis to get the Senate nod, though he said she’s “quite popular” with the state’s Republican base and has been mentioned as a possible 2026 gubernatorial candidate.

Susan MacManus, a retired political science professor at the University of South Florida, said Nunez makes the most sense for the U.S. Senate, in part because it would cultivate ties with Hispanic women who vote for Republicans.

“(Nunez) knows Florida’s concerns very well and how to communicate these issues when they come up in the Senate. She would be well versed in the policy side of Florida, as well as the demographics,” MacManus said.

As for Waltz’s seat, Power expects numerous candidates in the solidly Republican district, with speculation already including names such as Jacksonville City Councilman Rory Diamond, state Rep. Chase Tramont, R-Port Orange and former St. Johns County Sheriff David Shoar. .

“I think there are a number of people who are watching it. Some county commissioners are looking at it,” Power said.

“I welcome a robust primary. And we will be there to defend them during the general election,” Power added.

Power said he doesn’t expect many more Trump appointments to come from Congress, where Republican majorities are thin. But more appointments could come from Florida as Trump, a Palm Beach County native, is now more associated with Florida than his native New York.

“The president was running as a New Yorker last time,” Power said. “He’s totally a Florida guy now, with a Florida team and Florida people around him. Many of his employees were from Florida. So I think there will be a lot of Florida personnel in addition to these appointees.

Susie Wiles, a Florida resident and senior adviser to Trump during this year’s campaign, was named White House chief of staff last week.

Rubio, who went from challenging Trump in 2016 to a potential running mate this year, served as speaker of the Florida House during the 2007 and 2008 legislative sessions before being elected to the U.S. Senate in 2010.

Waltz served as chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness and is a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

“It’s no surprise that foreign leaders are eager to reconnect with President Trump,” Waltz tweeted Monday on X. “They know he brings strength, understands deterrence, and knows how to make deals that WORK.”

Waltz, a Green Beret and former Pentagon policy adviser to former defense chiefs Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates, also served in the Florida National Guard, which led to combat tours in Afghanistan, the Middle East and Africa.