Lt. Gov. Jay Collins suggested many politicians seeking higher office might be chasing attention instead of responsibility. Florida, he told a Florida TaxWatch[1] gathering in Orlando, deserved more than that.
“We do hard things. We lead not because we chase the headlines,” Collins said. “I don’t want any more paparazzi-chasing politicians. I want men and women who are willing to step into the breach and lead.”
Collins, a Tampa Republican, is rumored to be considering a run for Governor in 2026, where he could face some cable news fixtures like Republican U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds[2] and Democratic MSNBC contributor David Jolly[3].
But Collins brushed off questions whether he was considering a run himself. Instead, he repeatedly stressed in a speech in Orlando that he never intended to get into politics in the first place.
“I was asked many times,” he said. “I said, you know what? I think that’s kind of a bad idea.”
But he said a series of events including the COVID-19 pandemic led him to see the need for leadership in government. He successfully unseated a Democratic state Senator in 2022[4], was later appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis as Lieutenant Governor, and took his spot on stage amid chatter[5] he could run for higher office soon.
During his remarks, he praised many decisions of his current boss, noting DeSantis just signed legislation repealing[6] a business rent tax. He also celebrated Florida leadership on school choice, law enforcement support and cutting taxes.
Particularly on the latter, he said partnerships with organizations like Florida TaxWatch were vital. The work of the fiscally conservative organization, he said, laid out guidance for government efficiency for decades, he said.
“Math always wins,” Collins said. “Show me a mathematic equation that is true and tried, and I’ll show you something that has a chance to be successful despite human intervention, because humans are the place where sometimes things go awry. But if the math is pure and the math is right, that’s what matters.”
A standing ovation greeted the Lieutenant Governor as he described the late Ronald Reagan as his favorite President.
“If, as Reagan put it, America is a shining city on the hill, I believe, Florida is the spotlight,” he said, suggesting Florida leaders showed how to preserve a public safety net while fueling a strong economy.
He also voiced an awareness that despite Florida Republicans’ apparent political advantages right now, election outcomes should not be taken for granted.
“We may have a 1.3 or 1.4 million voter advantage when it comes to the Republican Party, but friends during COVID, that didn’t exist,” he said. “As quickly as we earned it, it can be lost.”
References
- ^ Florida TaxWatch (floridataxwatch.org)
- ^ Byron Donalds (www.foxnews.com)
- ^ David Jolly (www.msnbc.com)
- ^ in 2022 (floridapolitics.com)
- ^ amid chatter (floridapolitics.com)
- ^ repealing (floridapolitics.com)