Florida state Rep. Jeanette Nuñez would be the first Cuban-American woman to be chosen as a lieutenant governor candidate in the state. | Phil Sears/AP Photo DeSantis to name Nuñez as Florida’s first Cuban-American female running mate

MIAMI — Miami state Rep. Jeanette Nuñez is to be named Republican Ron DeSantis’ running mate Thursday, the first time a Cuban-American woman has been chosen as a lieutenant governor candidate in Florida, sources familiar with the decision tell POLITICO.

Nuñez, a Miami native who has served for eight years in the Florida House, would not comment about her joining the ticket nor would a campaign spokesman for DeSantis, who plans to make a campaign stop Thursday in the heart of the Cuban-American community in Miami’s Little Havana.


Nuñez initially did not want the hassle of running statewide, nor of being vetted for the post of lieutenant governor, but she decided to give it a second look at the urging of one of her closest political allies, Sen. Marco Rubio, in the wake of Democrat Andrew Gillum’s surprising win in his gubernatorial race Aug. 28, according to one knowledgeable source.

“She wasn’t keen on doing it at first. But the Gillum win was enough for her to revisit that — what’s at stake for the state,” the source said. “Marco called her and made a push. They’ve been friends for years and he said it was hugely important for her to get on the ticket.”

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Rubio also has a good working relationship with DeSantis, a congressman from Ponte Vedra, who briefly ran for Rubio’s seat when the senator in 2016 was running for president. When Rubio decided to run for reelection, DeSantis stepped aside gracefully. Rubio’s former chief of staff is House Speaker Richard Corcoran, who chose Nuñez to serve as speaker pro tempore in the Florida House. Another connection between the two Republicans: They share political consultants at the firm Something Else Strategies, and the same pollster, Whit Ayers.

Nuñez’s support for Rubio in one case led her to oppose Donald Trump before the 2016 presidential primary in Florida.

“Wake up Florida voters, Trump is the biggest con-man there is. #nosubstance #anti-Israel #supportsKKK #nevertrump,” she wrote March 3, 2016 on Twitter. “VOTE @marcorubio #RUBIO.”

She only posted one more tweet about Trump when he was sworn in on Jan. 20, 2017: “We live in the greatest country in the history of the world. Wishing our new #President @realDonaldTrump much success. May God bless him.”

The bilingual Nuñez gives DeSantis an extra lift in Miami-Dade County’s sizable and politically active Cuban-American community. Cuban-Americans were a key to DeSantis’ big win over Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam in last week’s primary. On Thursday, DeSantis is scheduled to appear with Nuñez at the Manuel Artime Theater to honor the fallen Brothers to the Rescue Pilots who were shot down on a relief flight mission by the Cuban regime in 1996.

DeSantis' decision to pick Nuñez was lauded by fellow Miamian and current lieutenant governor, Carlos Lopez-Cantera, the state’s first Cuban-American to hold the post.

“@RonDeSantisFL has made a wise choice in selecting @RepJNunez to be the 20th Lt. Governor of our great state of Florida,” Lopez-Cantera announced on Twitter, noting that the pick had not yet been officially confirmed.

As a former health care lobbyist and legislative aide, Nuñez also has deep knowledge of the legislative process and the prickly personalities in the state Capitol.

In picking the 46-year-old married mother of three, DeSantis’ campaign could help blunt the coming onslaught of Democrats who are counting on strong support from female voters.

DeSantis’ Democratic opponent, Gillum, was rumored to be mulling two female running mates as well: his former primary opponent and fellow Tallahassee resident Gwen Graham, a former congresswoman, and state Sen. Lauren Book.

One of Graham’s former campaign advisers, Steve Schale, lauded Nuñez on Twitter by saying: “Let me take a quick break from regularly scheduled partisanship to congratulate my friend. I've known @RepJNunez close to 20 years, dating back to when we were both legislative staff in the Florida House. She's good people, is deserving of this honor.”

Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Republican and a former colleague of Nuñez in the Florida House, said Schale’s reaction is the rule, not the exception.

“It would be difficult to impossible to find a former colleague or someone who knows her who has a bad word to say about her,” Gaetz said, calling Nuñez “open-minded and fair to everyone.”

Still, Gaetz said, Nuñez wants to win and knows how to do it.

“Jeanette has repeatedly won in an area of the state that’s turning a bluer shade of purple by the hour,” Gaetz said. “She has demonstrated an ability to appeal to a broad section of voters.”

