TAMPA, Fla. — A Tampa Bay-area state senator is getting a new title after being appointed as Florida's next lieutenant governor.

Sen. Jay Collins, R-Tampa, was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to fill the spot after former Lieutenant Governor Jeannette Nuñez was appointed president of Florida International University.

It’s a closely watched appointment by the two-term governor, who can’t run for reelection in 2026 and has been working to cement his legacy as his time leading the state winds down.

If Collins, an Army combat veteran and nonprofit executive, decides to launch a bid to succeed DeSantis, the move could tee up another between the popular GOP governor and President Donald Trump , who has already endorsed Republican Congressman Byron Donalds for the job.

"Regardless of wh

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