TAMPA, Fla. – Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced on Tuesday the appointment of the state’s new lieutenant governor.
Florida State Senator Jay Collins will fill the vacancy left by former Lieutenant Governor Jeannette Nuñez, who was appointed President of Florida International University in February.
According to DeSantis, Collins has served in dangerous missions as a Green Beret, particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“Because of his duty, he ends up losing one of his legs. And I think most people at that point would simply take a medical retirement and move on to a different segment of life, but Jay decided to re-up as a Green Beret using a prosthetic leg,” DeSantis said.
DeSantis said with Collins’ appointment, Florida will be the only state in the country that has both a governor and a lieutenant governor who are military veterans.
“I’m happy to be able to have the opportunity to elevate somebody who’s earned it, somebody that you can trust and somebody that you could be proud of. Our mission continues. We will lead, we will fight and we will win for the people of Florida. Our goal is very simple, keep Florida strong,” DeSantis said.