State Representative Jeanette Nuñez is Republican Congressman Ron DeSantis’ pick for lieutenant governor in Florida’s gubernatorial race. Nuñez, a Cuban-American from Miami, is a hit with Florida’s Republican Party — but isn’t exactly a conventional pick.
In a now-deleted tweet from 2016, Nuñez called President Donald Trump “the biggest con-man there is,” and expressed support for Marco Rubio. The Associated Press reports DeSantis called Nuñez’s tweet a “non-factor” when announcing the pick. Now, she’s sharing a ticket with DeSantis, who’s endorsed by Trump.
Nuñez made waves in 2014 when she successfully sponsored a bill to allow children of unauthorized immigrants to pay in-state college tuition. DeSantis is a vocal supporter of immigration enforcement.
On the Democratic side of the Florida Governor’s race, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, who won the primary as a progressive, has chosen another progressive, Chris King, as his running mate.