Chris Dawson, Attorney, GrayRobinson and FRSA Legislative Counsel
The political merry-go-round in Florida is in full swing with a series of executive appointments reshaping the Florida Cabinet and triggering special legislative races around the state. Over the summer, Governor DeSantis was afforded the opportunity to appoint two new statewide officials and also supported appointments of state legislators to local government offices and lucrative higher education positions. This month, we will explore two of these high-profile political moves and the implications they have on Florida politics moving forward.
Following Jimmy Patronis’ successful departure to run for Congress, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) position remained vacant for much of the 2025 legislative session. On July 7 in Tampa, the vacancy was finally filled when Governor DeSantis appointed Blaise Ingoglia to the position. Governor DeSantis highlighted that Ingoglia is widely regarded as one of the most conservative members of the Legislature and a strong advocate for fiscal accountability.
Since taking office, he has led the state’s Division of Governmental Oversight and Efficiency (DOGE), informally rebranded as the Florida Agency for Fiscal Oversight (FAFO). As one can imagine, the acronym has brought quite the attention to the new CFO. Ingoglia has emphasized that his initiatives are in alignment with the Governor and they work to serve all taxpayers by promoting accountability across both red and blue counties. Many local governments have been proactively working to reassess their budgets and identify savings to avoid the CFO’s DOGE efforts.
Ingoglia has long been a critic of big government and his press conferences with the Governor underscore that message; governments must be held accountable for their spending. It is no surprise that Ingoglia has utilized these press conferences as a chance to reach Floridians and build his campaign based off results, not just empty promises. Throughout these efforts, he has secured a wide range of endorsements from sheriffs, commissioners, legislators and school board members across the state. In September, he gained numerous endorsements from many Tampa Bay leaders, further strengthening his path to victory and solidifying his home-base support. As of now, no Democratic candidates have entered the race for CFO. Of note, only one Democrat has won the office since it was created in 2002. However, Democratic leadership has indicated that the party intends to run a statewide executive slate in the upcoming election.
After Jeanette Núñez was appointed President of Florida International University, the Lieutenant Governor’s (LG) office remained vacant for six months. While several names were floated as possible successors, Senator Jay Collins quickly emerged as a consistent front runner. On August 12, Collins was officially sworn in as Florida’s next LG at the Team House, in tradition of Army Green Berets. This appointment is impactful for many reasons but of importance, both DeSantis and Collins are veterans and have served overseas.
During his appointment, Governor DeSantis praised the heavily decorated Green Beret as one of the most productive senators in modern Florida history, emphasizing that his conservative principles and record of results would continue to shape the state in his new role. Collins received his start in politics in 2022 after defeating the democratic incumbent for the Hillsborough-based state Senate seat. During his time in the Legislature, Collins grew to be one of the strongest conservative voices and one of great reason, which many members respected. Known for his resilience, perseverance and ability to act, DeSantis commonly refers to Collins as the “Chuck Norris of Florida Politics.”
Since assuming his new office, Collins has appeared alongside Governor DeSantis at numerous press conferences across the state. His efforts have included promoting the State Assistance for Fentanyl Eradication (SAFE) program which has been utilized by numerous law-enforcement officials to keep Florida safe, supporting the Make America Healthy Again initiative and highlighting the addition of the second amendment to the state’s sales tax holidays.
Chris Dawson is an Attorney and professional Lobbyist for GrayRobinson’s Orlando office and is licensed to practice law in both Florida and Alabama. He primarily focuses on lobbying and government relations for public and private sector clients at the executive and legislative levels of state government. He is credentialed
as a Designated Professional Lobbyist by the Florida Association of Professional Lobbyists. Chris also holds two degrees in Civil Engineering and has experience in construction litigation and design professional malpractice defense.
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