Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran is arguably the second-most powerful politician in the state. Eyes are on him now to see if he’ll attempt to climb the final step and become the next Governor of Florida.
The Land O’ Lakes Republican has gone on the record saying that he is seriously considering a run in 2018, but with the added caveat that it will only be a run for Governor. Other options, like state Attorney General or U.S. Senator, are off the table.
“Those are the only two choices – governor or not run for office,” he said to the Tampa Bay Times.
Corcoran also mentioned he would not make a final decision until after the 2018 Legislative Session, for which he will remain as the Florida House Speaker.
In Tallahassee and elsewhere, the speaker’s reputation is one he’s carefully crafted to match that of a political “disruptor.” Early on in his leadership of the House, he called for ethics reforms that would be “the most transformative in the history of the Florida Legislature.”
His efforts to make government more “accountable” was also one of his greatest shortcomings, given that most of these initiatives fell flat in the face of resistance. One such proposal, which set the tone for his incoming speakership, was a rule to ban “texting while legislating.”
