Meet Jay Collins, Florida's New Lieutenant Governor

Jay Collins, a Florida Senator and former Green Beret, has been selected by Ron DeSantis as his next Lieutenant Governor. Collins succeeds Jeanette Nuñez, who stepped down earlier this year to become president of Florida International University. The announcement and swearing-in ceremony took place on Tuesday in Tampa at the Green Beret Association’s Team House.

Collins has served as a member of the Florida Senate representing District 14, which covers western portions of Hillsborough County, since being elected in 2022. He defeated incumbent Democrat Janet Cruz in a double-digit victory, flipping the seat to Republican control.

Collins served in the U.S. Army from 1995 to 2018 as a Green Beret in the Army Special Forces, completing deployments in Afghanistan, Iraq and South America. He earned the Purple Heart after suffering combat-related injuries that led to a leg amputation, yet he continued to serve for five more years.

Collins holds a Bachelor of Science in health sciences from American Military University and a Master of Science in organizational leadership from Norwich University. After retiring from the military, he founded a nonprofit organization supporting veterans, first responders, and Floridians in need.

Collins, 49, was a staunch ally of DeSantis while in the Senate. At the swearing-in, DeSantis praised Collins as "the Chuck Norris of Florida politics" and called him a "man of action." 

"The battlefield may change," said Collins, "but the mission stays the same."

A Montana native, Collins moved to Florida in 2019. He is married and has two children. His appointment has raised questions as to whether he will run for Governor in 2026. DeSantis has not shown support for Congressman Byron Donalds, a Republican whom President Trump has endorsed.