Jay Collins seems to soft-launch bid for Florida governor
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Florida Lt. Gov. Jay Collins. Photo: Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
Lt. Gov. Jay Collins may have soft-launched his bid for Florida governor over the weekend, with campaign-style ads airing during some of Saturday's most-watched college football games.
Why it matters: His entry into the race to succeed Gov. Ron DeSantis would tee up another showdown between the governor and President Trump — this time through their preferred candidates.
Driving the news: The ads seemed ripped from a DeSantis stump speech, depicting former Hillsborough state Sen. Collins as standing up to China, protecting parents' rights and eliminating property taxes.
- All of which frames Collins — a relatively unknown figure statewide — as the natural heir to the governor's platform. And after Saturday's ads came a Sunday interview on "Facing South Florida" with Jim DeFede.
- When asked if he was running for governor, Collins told DeFede: "We are just finalizing a plan... and we'll put out our final decision shortly, but we are really close to making that call."
Between the lines: The ads were paid for by Florida Fighters, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization. No group by that name is registered in the state, but an entity using that name was formed last week in Delaware.
- The Corporation Trust Company appears in records as the registered agent, and Collins did not respond to Axios when asked whether he knows who is behind the organization.
What they're saying: "The mission is everything. As a Green Beret, Jay Collins lived by that code, even re-qualifying for service after losing his leg in combat," an unidentified narrator said in the ad.
- "As Florida's lieutenant governor, Jay's mission continues, fighting alongside Gov. Ron DeSantis to keep Florida free."
Friction point: U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, Trump's favored candidate for governor, has already raked in tens of millions of dollars for his campaign.
- He's received endorsements from Elon Musk and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas.
- He's also faced barbs from DeSantis and his rivals: Collins, former state House speaker Paul Renner and political newcomer James Fishback.
- Donalds hasn't hit back, and at least for now, he doesn't have to; his X bio says it all: "Trump-Endorsed Republican for Governor of Florida."