Lt. Gov. Jay Collins made waves in Miami-Dade County with a speech that suggested an imminent run for Florida governor, highlighting his alignment with Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Trump agenda. Addressing a room full of about 125 Miami Republicans at Las Vegas Cuban Cuisine in Doral, Collins praised both Trump's actions and DeSantis' commitment to the Trump agenda, remarking, “We have President Trump following through doing things and knocking things out left and right and we have Governor DeSantis — there is nobody, nobody who has done more for the Trump agenda than Governor DeSantis.” Despite not yet officially declaring his candidacy, his presence in Miami, a city now garnering more political attention after its swing to Trump in 2024, seems to underscore both his campaign ambitions and a recognition of the county's increased electoral significance, the Miami Herald reported.
During his speech, Collins drew on his biography and appealed to the diaspora communities present, mentioning his upbringing in poverty and the experiences of communism and socialism, something he believes connects him to those who hail from countries like Cuba and Venezuela, Politico's Florida Playbook detailed. Emphasizing on his non-politician identity, Collins shared anecdotes of his wife's Lebanese immigrant family and his time as a Green Beret suggesting a deep understanding of the importance of fighting for American values, earning him standing ovations from the audience who appeared to be intrigued by his blend of military experience and familial immigrant ties.
The rhetoric around Collins' likely gubernatorial bid—and its connection to broader national politics—has become a subject of growing discussion, with many keeping an eye on whether DeSantis will offer his endorsement to Collins or stay neutral in the face of Trump's endorsement of Congressman Byron Donalds. Although DeSantis recently appointed Collins as lieutenant governor, a full-throttled support for his gubernatorial run remains to be seen, as DeSantis himself has not yet championed any candidate following his non-endorsement of Donalds and calling former Speaker of the House Paul Renner's run "ill-advised," as reported by the Miami Herald.
The positioning of Miami-Dade County as a linchpin for Republican primary success has not gone unnoticed by Collins, who made several strategic stops in the area, confirming the sentiments of Kevin Cooper, Miami-Dade GOP chair, who noted that as Miami-Dade goes, so goes the state, Politico's Florida Playbook highlighted. Collins, who has served in the state Senate representing Hillsborough County since 2022 and has never run a statewide campaign will have to maneuver not only the political dynamics between Trump and DeSantis-backed candidates but also work on building his own statewide recognition in a political landscape where such familiarity could be crucial for any successful run, with the Miami Republicans gathered expressing some hesitation over the power of the Trump endorsement and weighing their options for the less than a year away primary.
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