DeSantis Names State Sen. Jay Collins as Lieutenant Governor

After roughly six months, Florida’s Gov. Ron DeSantis finally decided on his next lieutenant governor: state Sen. Jarrid “Jay” Collins.

The governor said on Aug. 12 in Tampa that he considered two things when making his decision. First, the person had to be “strong on policy,” with a “record of delivering big conservative results.” Second, the person had to be “somebody that’s going to run towards the fire,” not sit on the fence or fear criticism.

“It’s about performance and record and deeds, and Jay, on that measure, has amassed a stellar record, and I believe he will continue to be an outstanding leader in the state of Florida,” DeSantis said.

The new lieutenant governor, who was sworn into office in a ceremony at the Tampa Green Beret Association’s Team House in Tampa, affirmed that his mission was to continue to “keep Florida free” and build on what DeSantis, a Republican, has done to preserve the quality of life and foster growth.

“Friends, the battlefield, it may change, but the mission stays the same,” Collins said. “We are going to protect and preserve every single thing that matters. We will not stop our fight. We will not slow down. We will continue to take the fight forward, because this is not politics. It is about people.”

A Republican and former Green Beret, Collins has represented Florida’s District 14, which consists of a large part of Hillsborough County, including most of the city of Tampa, since 2022. He won reelection in 2024 despite the area being previously known for voting Democrat.

His district overlaps with Florida’s Congressional District 14, represented in Washington by Democrat Rep. Kathy Castor.

Collins was adopted and raised by his grandparents and served more than 20 years in the Army Special Forces. He carried out multiple deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq, and South America and was awarded the Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, and a Purple Heart. He served five years as an active duty Green Beret after he lost his leg due to injuries sustained in Afghanistan.

His appointment made Florida the only state in the country to have military veterans as governor and lieutenant governor.

Returning stateside and leaving the military, Collins began working with a nonprofit in Tampa that oversees the distribution of meals to veterans, first responders, and those in need. DeSantis praised Collins’s work with the nonprofit, particularly during recent hurricanes.

Collins’s wife Layla is an Army veteran herself with more than 20 years of service. She retired as a senior counter-intelligence agent for the U.S. Army Special Operations. They have two sons, Gabe and Colt.

DeSantis praised Collins for his strong advocacy of the conservative agenda. This includes supporting the Trump administration’s fight against illegal immigration, the state’s ongoing push for tighter election laws, and writing legislation banning the Chinese Communist Party from owning land in Florida.

Collins also sided with DeSantis on education reform, tax relief, the state’s debt reduction, and the recent push to provide property tax relief to homeowners.

Collins chaired the state’s Agricultural Committee, served on the Appropriations Committee on Education, and briefly on the Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development Committee.

Other committee assignments included Postsecondary Education; Pre-K – 12 Education; Fiscal Policy, Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security; the Select Committee on Resiliency; and the Joint Select Committee on Collective Bargaining.

Collins was also recognized for personally leading evacuation flights from Israel to Florida during the 12 Day War between Israel and Iran, returning hundreds of Floridians home.

“He was in these countries in the middle of the war, personally helping to rescue his fellow Floridians and fellow Americans,” DeSantis said. “Sen. Jay Collins is the Chuck Norris of Florida politics.”

DeSantis’s previous lieutenant governor, Jeanette Nunez, stepped down in February after being named the interim president of Florida International University in Miami.

Collins’s appointment follows DeSantis’s pick of James Uthmeier as the state’s attorney general due to Ashley Moody’s appointment to the Senate, and former state Sen. Blaise Ingolgia as the state’s chief financial officer due to Jimmy Patronis’s election to the U.S. House of Representatives.