Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on 12 August named Tampa Republican Senator Jay Collins as the state’s lieutenant governor, filling a post left vacant since February when Jeanette Nuñez departed to head Florida International University. The announcement came at the Tampa Green Beret Association, where DeSantis praised Collins as “the Chuck Norris of Florida politics” and said he wanted a deputy capable of delivering further policy wins and stepping in as governor if necessary. Collins, 47, is a former Green Beret who served 23 years in the U.S. Army Special Forces, earning the Purple Heart and Bronze Star after losing a leg in Afghanistan and continuing to serve on a prosthetic. First elected to the Senate in 2022, he chairs the chamber’s Transportation Committee and has championed conservative priorities including permit-less concealed carry and restrictions on foreign land purchases near critical infrastructure. His elevation makes Florida the only state where both the governor and lieutenant governor are military veterans. The largely ceremonial office pays about $136,000 a year but can be shaped by the governor; DeSantis indicated Collins will help advance his agenda on parental rights, immigration enforcement and hurricane relief. Collins was sworn in immediately after the announcement. The move also resets the political landscape ahead of the 2026 election, when the term-limited DeSantis must leave office. Collins has signalled interest in running for governor, potentially facing U.S. Representative Byron Donalds, who is backed by former President Donald Trump. Collins’ appointment creates a vacancy in his Senate district that will be filled by special election.