Florida's Latest News

In Trump’s DC, K Street clamors for Florida-linked lobbyists

Capital City Consulting owner and founder Nick Iarossi — who is based in Tallahassee and just expanded into Washington as managing director of BGR Group — said last week he was sitting in the lobby of the West Wing with clients ahead of meetings and bumped into several senior officials from Florida, including Bondi.

“It was almost like you picked up Florida and placed it in the White House,” he said, adding that it was a “wild” experience but also that Florida was “getting its due.”

“For a long time, we’ve been the really large state that was generally ignored in Washington from a power structure perspective,” he said, “and now it’s like we took all the years that we were the stepchild in Washington, D.C. and all at once snapped the pendulum back in a way that now we are, as a state, by far the nucleus of power.”

‘Run, Byron, Run!’: Donald Trump all but endorses Byron Donalds to be next Florida Governor

President Donald Trump made clear who he wants as the next Governor of Florida.

In a Truth Social post, Trump all but endorsed U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds to run as the state’s next chief executive in 2026. Donalds responded by all but announcing his candidacy.

“I am hearing that Highly Respected Congressman Byron Donalds is considering running for Governor of Florida, a State that I love, and WON BIG in 2016, 2020, and 2024,” Trump posted.

Donalds later on X shared the post and wrote: “President Trump is Making America Great Again. I’m committed to working with him to Keep Florida Great. Announcement coming soon!”

The President noted his familiarity with Donalds, whom he considered for his running mate in the 2024 presidential campaign, and with his family, including school choice advocate Erika Donalds.

Board OKs Adam Hasner, Jeanette Nuñez for university leadership posts

The state university system’s Board of Governors on Thursday unanimously approved former Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez to serve as interim president of Florida International University and former state House Majority Leader Adam Hasner to serve as president of Florida Atlantic University.

Nuñez, a former House member from Miami who was Gov. Ron DeSantis’ running mate in 2018 and 2022, will make an annual base salary of $850,000 at FIU, her alma mater, and Hasner will make a base salary of $875,000.

While Nuñez’s appointment has drawn student and faculty protests, Board of Governors member Jose Oliva, a former state House speaker from Miami Lakes, described Nuñez as a “fearsome advocate for FIU” when the two served in the Legislature and as she served as lieutenant governor.

Alan Levine, vice chairman of the Board of Governors, advised Nuñez to pursue the presidency on a permanent basis, a suggestion echoed by state Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr., also a former Miami-Dade County lawmaker.

“I think it’s going to be a huge benefit for FIU in the long run,” Diaz said.

'Donald Trump taps Ron DeSantis for bipartisan Council of Governors

Florida’s Governor is one of several new faces on the presidentially appointed Council of Governors.

President Donald Trump announced that Gov. Ron DeSantis is part of a wave of picks to the “bipartisan group of state leaders tasked with strengthening state-federal partnerships on key national security, disaster response, and military coordination issues.”

Trump also appointed Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin and North Carolina Democrat Gov. Josh Stein as Co-Chairs.

New regular members include Republican Govs. Brian Kemp of Georgia, Jeff Landry of Louisiana and Henry McMaster of South Carolina.

Additionally, Trump empaneled Democratic Govs. Kathy Hochul of New York, Wes Moore of Maryland, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan.