TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Potential successors to Sen. John Thrasher, R-St. Augustine, are already considering their next moves as the powerful lawmaker is all but certain to become the next president of his alma mater, Florida State University.
The FSU board of trustees voted 11-2 on Tuesday to make Thrasher the next head of the university, setting off a delicate dance for both the would-be president and those who would likely be in line to run for his Senate seat. Thrasher will not technically become president until the state university system's Board of Governors approves his selection, though that is considered a formality.
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Still, Thrasher --- who also serves as the chairman of Gov. Rick Scott's re-election campaign -- said Tuesday he does not intend to immediately leave the campaign trail as he seeks re-election in his Northeast Florida Senate district this fall.
Instead, he would wait to leave the Legislature until the Board of Governors makes its decision, which is likely to come at a meeting days after the November election.
If Thrasher follows that plan, it would lead to a later special election. Doing so would widen the field of potential successors, including allowing House members who are already on the ballot in November to run for Thrasher's seat. It would also avoid a process that would allow Republican leaders in the counties represented by Thrasher to choose a replacement candidate for him -- something called for under state law when a candidate leaves the race after the primary.
"In the meantime, I intend to continue to campaign for re-election to the Senate and will continue to carry out my commitment to the people of my district," Thrasher said in a statement. "If I am ultimately selected to lead FSU, this will allow the voters to select who will be the next Senator from the 6th district."
Lawmakers interested in running for Thrasher's seat had been intently watching to see the timing of the move. State law would bar candidates who had qualified to run for office in 2014 from being chosen as Thrasher's replacement on the ballot. That would have removed all lawmakers running for re-election to their House seats from consideration.
Some legislators are already saying they would be interested in running in a special election for Thrasher's seat.
"If that happens, I would certainly be considering it strongly," said Rep. Ronald "Doc" Renuart, a three-term Republican from Ponte Vedra Beach.
Rep. Travis Hutson, R-Elkton, said he would also take a look at running.
"I would like to get with my community and make sure it's the right thing," said Hutson, a House freshman unopposed in his bid for re-election.
Whoever replaces Thrasher is likely to be a Republican; Gov. Rick Scott carried the district by more than 17 points four years ago, and Thrasher won by a similar margin in 2012.
But the race could still be contentious. Thrasher is close to Senate Appropriations Chairman Joe Negron, a Stuart Republican who is locked in a battle with Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, for the chamber presidency in 2016. Depending on the outcome of this November's elections, an open seat could spark a proxy war between the two men.
The date for a special election would be set by the governor when Thrasher's resignation becomes official.