Trump Acts as Kingmaker in Florida’s House Delegation
The president-elect is molding Florida’s delegation to reflect his vision, resulting in additional choices for Gov. Ron DeSantis to consider.
TroibNews 
MIAMI — President-elect Donald Trump has tapped into Florida’s political leadership for key positions in his administration, and he is now influencing the state's congressional delegation to reflect his vision.
In recent days, Trump endorsed Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis and Republican state Sen. Randy Fine for congressional positions, even before either had officially declared their candidacies. These endorsements are seen as a significant advantage in the heavily Republican Districts 1 and 6.
“If someone wants to run against the president-elect of the United States, who is the first Republican since 2004 to win the popular vote, good luck — I’ve seen the ending to this movie,” noted Miami Commissioner Kevin Cabrera, who served as Trump’s Florida state director during the 2020 presidential campaign.
Having won Florida by 13 points this month, Trump has strategically selected politicians from the state to fill his Cabinet roles. His early involvement in the races is expected to effectively secure the elections for Patronis and Fine, ensuring their alignment with his agenda.
This involvement also creates a potential conflict with Gov. Ron DeSantis, who ran against Trump in the 2024 GOP primary. DeSantis won Florida by 19 points two years ago and successfully opposed amendments regarding abortion and marijuana legalization, issues on which Trump has expressed support.
DeSantis faces pressure to appoint a new senator, as Sen. Marco Rubio is anticipated to be confirmed as the next secretary of State. There’s significant interest from MAGA supporters for DeSantis to select Lara Trump, who played a prominent role with the Republican National Committee, but DeSantis indicated he is considering a range of candidates, with an announcement expected in January.
Spokespeople for the governor did not reply to requests for comment. Trump’s endorsement of Fine was not surprising since Fine’s support during the presidential primary was considered a pivotal moment for Republicans.
Fine, who had initially supported DeSantis, shifted his allegiance to Trump following a critical op-ed in the Washington Times that suggested DeSantis was not sufficiently addressing antisemitism in Florida. This pivot prompted several other state lawmakers to follow suit.
Fine is running for House District 6 to succeed Rep. Mike Waltz, whom Trump has appointed as national security adviser. Patronis will run in House District 1, previously held by Rep. Matt Gaetz, who resigned to pursue an attorney general role.
For Patronis, Trump’s endorsement appeared less certain initially. He had remained neutral during the Republican primary until DeSantis withdrew and had made several overtures to Trump’s supporters in his role as CFO. Notably, he previously aimed to back a $5 million state fund for Trump's legal expenses, a plan DeSantis promptly rejected.
On Monday, Patronis indicated his intent to run, a move that would likely remove him from consideration for the governor's race in 2026, a contest where Trump seems eager to exert influence.
The primaries for both congressional seats are set for January 28, with the general election scheduled for April 1. Trump's maneuvers have sparked a flurry of activity among Florida Republicans, suggesting further developments might be on the horizon. “There may be more pieces of this puzzle we don’t see yet,” remarked a senior Florida Republican official speaking on condition of anonymity.
Before Trump made his preferences clear, various Republicans interested in Gaetz’s seat were vying for his attention, seeking influences and endorsements from Trump’s circle. At least eight candidates announced their intentions to compete.
Fighter pilot Jeff Witt officially launched his campaign on Monday during an appearance on Fox News, a platform favored by Trump, receiving immediate support from Students for Trump. State Rep. Joel Rudman’s campaign highlighted his support of Trump’s policies. Meanwhile, state Rep. Michelle Salzman, who filed her candidacy last week but withdrew on Monday, stated that she would not impede any candidate whom Trump endorsed.
“Politics is an ever-changing chessboard,” she remarked in a text after Patronis received Trump's endorsement. “Our first priority as elected officials should be our constituents. If we put them first, we all win! Jimmy has been endorsed by the leader of our party and that should be enough for us to get behind him.”
Most Florida legislators, including Salzman and Rudman, supported DeSantis during the GOP primary.
If Patronis officially enters the race, DeSantis will have the opportunity to appoint his successor as CFO. He could designate someone temporarily, but at least eight insiders in Tallahassee, speaking on condition of anonymity, have floated state Sen. Blaise Ingoglia as a potential choice. Ingoglia recently acknowledged he was “seriously considering” running for the position in 2026.
Choosing someone like Ingoglia could position DeSantis for a challenge against state Sen. Joe Gruters, who has already declared his candidacy for the CFO role and has Trump's endorsement but is regarded as a long-standing opponent of DeSantis.
Gruters asserted he intends to remain in the race, whether appointed or elected to the CFO position in 2026, and Gaetz expressed his backing for Gruters on social media Monday.
Jamie Miller, a GOP strategist for Gruters, predicted that Trump’s endorsement would weigh heavily in the 2026 CFO race, regardless of who joins the competition. He advised DeSantis to engage with Trump: “Gov. DeSantis has to figure out his path past 2026, and in some ways that’s going to be in the shadow of Donald Trump. I would suggest he pick up the phone and call the president and work together with him on it.”
Gary Fineout contributed to this report from Tallahassee, Florida.
Alejandro Jose Martinez for TROIB News
In recent days, Trump endorsed Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis and Republican state Sen. Randy Fine for congressional positions, even before either had officially declared their candidacies. These endorsements are seen as a significant advantage in the heavily Republican Districts 1 and 6.
“If someone wants to run against the president-elect of the United States, who is the first Republican since 2004 to win the popular vote, good luck — I’ve seen the ending to this movie,” noted Miami Commissioner Kevin Cabrera, who served as Trump’s Florida state director during the 2020 presidential campaign.
Having won Florida by 13 points this month, Trump has strategically selected politicians from the state to fill his Cabinet roles. His early involvement in the races is expected to effectively secure the elections for Patronis and Fine, ensuring their alignment with his agenda.
This involvement also creates a potential conflict with Gov. Ron DeSantis, who ran against Trump in the 2024 GOP primary. DeSantis won Florida by 19 points two years ago and successfully opposed amendments regarding abortion and marijuana legalization, issues on which Trump has expressed support.
DeSantis faces pressure to appoint a new senator, as Sen. Marco Rubio is anticipated to be confirmed as the next secretary of State. There’s significant interest from MAGA supporters for DeSantis to select Lara Trump, who played a prominent role with the Republican National Committee, but DeSantis indicated he is considering a range of candidates, with an announcement expected in January.
Spokespeople for the governor did not reply to requests for comment. Trump’s endorsement of Fine was not surprising since Fine’s support during the presidential primary was considered a pivotal moment for Republicans.
Fine, who had initially supported DeSantis, shifted his allegiance to Trump following a critical op-ed in the Washington Times that suggested DeSantis was not sufficiently addressing antisemitism in Florida. This pivot prompted several other state lawmakers to follow suit.
Fine is running for House District 6 to succeed Rep. Mike Waltz, whom Trump has appointed as national security adviser. Patronis will run in House District 1, previously held by Rep. Matt Gaetz, who resigned to pursue an attorney general role.
For Patronis, Trump’s endorsement appeared less certain initially. He had remained neutral during the Republican primary until DeSantis withdrew and had made several overtures to Trump’s supporters in his role as CFO. Notably, he previously aimed to back a $5 million state fund for Trump's legal expenses, a plan DeSantis promptly rejected.
On Monday, Patronis indicated his intent to run, a move that would likely remove him from consideration for the governor's race in 2026, a contest where Trump seems eager to exert influence.
The primaries for both congressional seats are set for January 28, with the general election scheduled for April 1. Trump's maneuvers have sparked a flurry of activity among Florida Republicans, suggesting further developments might be on the horizon. “There may be more pieces of this puzzle we don’t see yet,” remarked a senior Florida Republican official speaking on condition of anonymity.
Before Trump made his preferences clear, various Republicans interested in Gaetz’s seat were vying for his attention, seeking influences and endorsements from Trump’s circle. At least eight candidates announced their intentions to compete.
Fighter pilot Jeff Witt officially launched his campaign on Monday during an appearance on Fox News, a platform favored by Trump, receiving immediate support from Students for Trump. State Rep. Joel Rudman’s campaign highlighted his support of Trump’s policies. Meanwhile, state Rep. Michelle Salzman, who filed her candidacy last week but withdrew on Monday, stated that she would not impede any candidate whom Trump endorsed.
“Politics is an ever-changing chessboard,” she remarked in a text after Patronis received Trump's endorsement. “Our first priority as elected officials should be our constituents. If we put them first, we all win! Jimmy has been endorsed by the leader of our party and that should be enough for us to get behind him.”
Most Florida legislators, including Salzman and Rudman, supported DeSantis during the GOP primary.
If Patronis officially enters the race, DeSantis will have the opportunity to appoint his successor as CFO. He could designate someone temporarily, but at least eight insiders in Tallahassee, speaking on condition of anonymity, have floated state Sen. Blaise Ingoglia as a potential choice. Ingoglia recently acknowledged he was “seriously considering” running for the position in 2026.
Choosing someone like Ingoglia could position DeSantis for a challenge against state Sen. Joe Gruters, who has already declared his candidacy for the CFO role and has Trump's endorsement but is regarded as a long-standing opponent of DeSantis.
Gruters asserted he intends to remain in the race, whether appointed or elected to the CFO position in 2026, and Gaetz expressed his backing for Gruters on social media Monday.
Jamie Miller, a GOP strategist for Gruters, predicted that Trump’s endorsement would weigh heavily in the 2026 CFO race, regardless of who joins the competition. He advised DeSantis to engage with Trump: “Gov. DeSantis has to figure out his path past 2026, and in some ways that’s going to be in the shadow of Donald Trump. I would suggest he pick up the phone and call the president and work together with him on it.”
Gary Fineout contributed to this report from Tallahassee, Florida.
Alejandro Jose Martinez for TROIB News
