Florida Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins is joining the race for governor in the 2026 election. Collins is the latest of several high-profile Republican politicians to announce they’ll be seeking the governor’s office after Ron DeSantis’ second term expires.
“I’m running for Governor because leadership is forged under pressure, not in soundbites,” Collins posted to his X account. “I served over 23 years in the United States military, mainly as a Green Beret, where accountability is real, decisions have consequences, and service comes before self. That experience shaped how I lead and why I believe public office is a public trust.”
Current Governor Ron DeSantis is unable to run for a third term in office this year due to Florida’s term limits on governors. Other major Republican candidates include U.S. Representative Byron Donalds, former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner, and businessman James Fishback.
Jay Collins served in the U.S. Army from 1995 to 2018, rising to the rank of first sergeant. He spent time as a Green Beret, and served on deployments to the Middle East and Latin America during his time in the armed services.
The first time Collins ran for political office came in 2022, when he entered the election for Florida’s 14th congressional district. Following newly drawn congressional lines, Collins re-filed in the 15th district. He dropped out of the race later on and opted instead to run for the Florida Senate.
Collins was elected to the state legislature in Florida’s 14th state Senate district in 2022. He remained in office until August 2025 when Gov. DeSantis appointed him to the position of lieutenant governor. The vacancy was created when DeSantis’ former lieutenant Jeanette Nuñez resigned to become interim president of Florida International University.
The current frontrunner in the 2026 gubernatorial election appears to be Byron Donalds, who has earned the endorsement of President Donald Trump. Donalds has held a double-digit lead in major polling over Renner, Fishback, and Collins, who has been included at times as a hypothetical candidate.
Two major Democrats have also filed their campaigns: former Congressman David Jolly and Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings. Despite a razor-thin race in 2018, Florida Democrats were dealt a crushing blow in the 2022 election, where DeSantis bested Charlie Crist by just shy of twenty points.
