#Florida bill allowing DeSantis to stay governor and run for president heads to his desk

The Florida House approved a bill on Friday that would allow Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) to remain as governor if he chooses to run for president in 2024, sending it to his for his signature. 

The bill passed 76-34 on a party-line vote after passing the state Senate also along party lines on Wednesday, 28-12.

Florida election law states that anyone running for an office needs to step down from a position they hold once they are officially a candidate. If signed, the bill would create an exception that the law would not apply to officials running for president or vice president. 

DeSantis has not formally announced if he is considering a run for the GOP nomination for president in 2024, but he is widely speculated to enter the race soon. 

Supporters of the bill have said it is not designed for DeSantis and is only a clarification, while Democrats slammed it as a way to ensure DeSantis can remain as governor while running for president. 

“It is an individual office that is unique. It is the chief executive of our country,” state Rep. Ralph Massullo (R) said during debate on Friday. “This isn’t just for our governor. It’s for anyone in politics.” 

State Rep. Angela Nixon (D) said the legislature is “doing the governor’s bidding,” arguing that DeSantis needs to resign if he wants to run for president. 

“Last time I checked, being governor is a full-time job,” Nixon said. “Running for president takes a lot of work.”

The law would also place additional restrictions on mail-in ballots and place the responsibility for a voter to determine if they are eligible to vote on them instead of the state. 

Democrats argued these provisions are voter-suppression tactics on minorities and economically disadvantaged groups to keep Republicans in control of the state government. But GOP lawmakers defended them as being needed to streamline elections and eliminate ambiguity. 

“There is no more sacred thing than our vote,” Rep. John Snyder (R) said. “It should be easy to vote and hard to cheat.” 

Most aspects of the law would take effect on July 1, but the section allowing someone running for president to not resign from their office would take effect immediately upon the act becoming law. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.