PALM HARBOR, Fla. — Jay Collins has chosen Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie as his running mate in the Republican race for governor.
Collins announced the pick just hours before the primary, as he tries to close a significant polling gap with frontrunner Byron Donalds. Donalds has held a commanding lead in many polls, although surveys have varied on the size of that advantage.
Guthrie, who leads the state's hurricane response agency, is entering a statewide political campaign with the Republican primary just hours away.
Collins said he spent weeks considering who could serve as his second-in-command. He said he wasn't looking for a political name or someone chosen for demographic or geographic reasons.
Instead, he said he wanted competence, leadership, character and someone who could step in and lead on day one.
With Collins trailing Donalds by a wide margin in many polls and primary day just hours away, Guthrie has little time to change the trajectory of the race.
“I’m either going to be a political hero tomorrow or a political zero tomorrow,” he said.
Guthrie said he accepted the offer out of principle, saying he could have taken the easier way out but believed Florida deserved someone willing to step forward.
Guthrie said he has spent nearly 37 years in public safety, including more than two decades with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, before moving into emergency management. He eventually became director of the state's emergency management agency under Gov. Ron DeSantis.
But his move into politics creates an immediate question about his current job.
Guthrie is still leading the Florida Division of Emergency Management, and Florida is in the middle of hurricane season.
Asked whether he would have to resign, Guthrie said he had not yet spoken with DeSantis. He said that conversation with the governor's office would happen Tuesday.
If he is required to resign, Guthrie said he will do so and focus fully on the campaign. He said his second-in-command, Ben Fairbrother, is prepared to take over the agency if necessary.
Guthrie also addressed concerns about moving from a public-safety role into a partisan campaign.
“I've never been accused of being a politician,” he said, adding that he intends to remain a “statesman” and represent all Floridians.
Guthrie said his experience has required him to work with both Republicans and Democrats and that he intends to continue serving everyone in the state.
Collins said he wants the lieutenant governor to have a more active role than a traditional ceremonial position, focusing on “safety, security, readiness, and response.”
The pick also reinforces Collins' effort to position himself as a continuation of the DeSantis administration.
Both Collins and Guthrie praised DeSantis during the announcement. Guthrie called DeSantis the best governor he has worked for and said the governor had empowered him throughout his career.
Whether that message, or Guthrie's addition to the ticket, can significantly change the race remains to be seen.
Republican voters will decide Tuesday whether Collins can overcome Donalds' lead and win the nomination.
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