TALLAHASSEE, Florida — Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday said he accepted the resignation of Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie after he became GOP gubernatorial candidate Jay Collins’ running mate.
“I didn’t necessarily think that was something Kevin aspired to, but given that he’s doing that, I think it’s important that we have emergency management just focused on emergency management,” DeSantis said. “So I have accepted his resignation as the director of the Division of Emergency Management.”
DeSantis appointed Guthrie in 2021 to lead the division of the governor’s office that coordinates statewide preparations and recovery efforts for natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes and flooding. Guthrie previously served as chief of staff for DEM under former Director Jared Moskowitz. DeSantis praised Guthrie in response to a question about joining the Collins campaign that was asked during an education roundtable discussion in Sarasota, but also said he was not aware that Guthrie was interested in politics.
DeSantis picked Collins to be lieutenant governor last year but stopped short of offering him an endorsement. Collins came in a distant second to GOP Rep. Byron Donalds in Tuesday’s primary.
