TAMPA, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis is considered by many to be a rising star in Republican circles and one of the top front runners to challenge Donald Trump in the 2024 race for the GOP presidential nomination.

What You Need To Know

  • The Florida Legislature recently passed law allowing governor to remain in power while running for president 

  • Critics say they are is concerned that Gov. Ron DeSantis will be distracted from state duties while criss-crossing the country during a presidential campaign

  • A University of South Florida professor says DeSantis remaining governor while running for White House could give ammunition to opponents

  • PREVIOUS: Florida GOP passes resign to run exemption; bill now heads to DeSantis

The Florida Legislature recently passed a bill that would allow DeSantis to remain governor if he were to run for president. But some critics are asking: What does that mean for Florida? 

Professor L. Edwin Benton, who teachers political science at the University of South Florida, says DeSantis could soon declare he’s running for president now that the legislative session is over. He expects the governor's successes in the latest session to be at the forefront of his campaign.

“He wanted the Florida legislature to hand him on a silver platter a lot of legislation that comports with his anti-woke agenda that he’s been saying, so he can speak with a higher level authority if he’s still a sitting governor,” Benton said. 

He said DeSantis remaining governor could give ammunition to his opponents.

“If I were a Democratic strategist, or a Republican strategist such as Donald Trump, or some foe in the Republican primary, I would say, ‘How do you expect him to attend to the needs as a U.S. citizen if he doesn’t attend to the needs of his own citizens in Florida,” Benton said. “So he's going to catch a lot of flak, and I'm sure political pundits will challenge his ability to do that.”

Benton says the recent flooding in Ft. Lauderdale in South Florida is a prime example of an incident that could later be used against him.

City leaders there criticized DeSantis — who was on a book promotion tour in Ohio at the time — for not checking in with them during the emergency.

Benton says DeSantis will have to find a balance to show Floridians that he can still lead as governor, while campaigning for president, and how to respond to his opponents who argue you can’t do both.

There are those, though, who have said they have no doubt that DeSantis will be able to govern Florida while running for president.

Ahead of the Legislature's passage of the bill that contains the "resign to run" exemption for DeSantis, Florida House Speaker Paul Renner told reporters that it was a "great idea" to review the law. Senate President Kathleen Passidomo similarly said that changes to the resignation requirement would be a "good idea."

"If an individual who is a Florida governor is running for president, I think he should be allowed to do it," she said.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.