Overview

The Governor is the chief administrative officer of the State of Florida. Fla. Const. Art. IV, § 1(a). The Florida Constitution grants expansive appointment powers to the Governor.

Election-Related Duties

The key election duties of the Governor are:

1. Appointing Executive Cabinet members to and filling vacancies on the Elections Canvassing Commission. Fla. Stat. § 102.111(1).
2. Certifying the election of federal, state, and multi-county offices as an ex officio member of the Elections Canvassing Commission. Fla. Stat. § 102.111(2).
3. Filling state and county office vacancies, except those specifically named in the state’s constitution. Fla. Const. Art. IV, § 1(f). [1][2]
4. Serving as one of the four members of a body that constitutes “the agency head of the Department of Law Enforcement.” Fla. Const. Art. IV, § 4(g). The Governor is the chair of this body. Fla. Const. Art. IV, § 4(g).

Selection and Vacancy Information

• Elected: The Governor of Florida is elected every even-numbered year in which a presidential election is not occurring. Fla. Const. Art. IV, § 5(a) (instructing the “state-wide general election [to occur] in each calendar year the number of which is even but not a multiple of four”).
• Term of Office: The term of office for Governor is four years in Florida. See Fla. Const. Art. IV, § 5(a).
• Next Election: The next election for Governor of Florida will take place in 2026.
• Qualifications and Restrictions:
  • A candidate must be 30 years old and a resident of Florida for the preceding seven years by the time of election. Fla. Const. Art. IV, § 5(b).
  • A candidate can run without a Lieutenant Governor for the primary election, but must run on a slate with a Lieutenant Governor for the general election. Fla. Const. Art. IV, § 5(a).
  • A candidate cannot have served more than six years in two consecutive terms as Governor or Acting Governor. Additionally, the Florida Constitution is blind to resignation, so an incumbent governor cannot resign just before serving for six years to evade this limit. Fla. Const. Art. IV, § 5(b) (noting that “[n]o person who has,” or would have served as Governor or Acting Governor for six years, “but for resignation” can be elected to a succeeding term).
• Vacancy: If the Governor’s office becomes vacant, the Lieutenant Governor becomes the Governor for the remainder of the term. Fla. Const. Art. IV, § 3(a). [3]

Footnotes