For Vance and Rubio to get Trump’s VP nod, they may have to overcome their own governors

By Steve Contorno and Daniel Strauss, CNN

(CNN) — The two Republican senators on Donald Trump’s shortlist for potential running mates may have to overcome some political baggage in the form of their home-state governors to get the nod.

If Trump picks either Marco Rubio of Florida or JD Vance of Ohio, the senator’s successor would be chosen by a Republican governor who has engaged in high-profile clashes with the former president. In Florida, that honor would go to Gov. Ron DeSantis, a onetime ally viewed more recently by Trump as “disloyal” for launching a rival presidential campaign. If Vance is picked, his Ohio replacement would be appointed by Gov. Mike DeWine, who has rarely seen eye to eye with the former president.

It’s a fact that allies of Vance and Rubio are acutely aware of in the intensifying final days leading up to Trump’s announcement – and one they are trying to mitigate against by insisting the other senator has it worse. Pro-Rubio forces have suggested to those who will listen that DeWine would likely replace Vance with someone unaligned with Trump’s MAGA movement.

“It would be a step backwards for the America First agenda,” one such Rubio backer said in making the case against Vance.

Meanwhile, DeSantis’ deflection from Trump is a regular topic of conversation among those rooting for a running mate other than Rubio, including people urging the former president to consider Vance. A person with knowledge of the Trump-DeSantis relationship said the narrative may have captured the former president’s attention several months ago, but their ties have improved since their acrimonious race ended. In April, Trump and DeSantis met face-to-face and spoke for the first time since DeSantis dropped out of the presidential race some three months earlier.

“They get along way better,” the person said.

Usually, when presidential candidates are considering a senator as a running mate, concern about a replacement only arises if a governor from the opposing party is in charge of the appointment, especially in a closely divided chamber. That isn’t the case here as Republicans would not be at risk of losing the seat. Another running mate contender, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, would also create an opening if selected for the role, but unlike Rubio and Vance, his home-state governor, Henry McMaster, is a Trump-aligned conservative. Scott, though, as CNN previously reported, is outside Trump’s current top three of Vance, Rubio and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.

Trump is weighing a host of factors in his running mate search that reach far beyond the potential political dominos that may fall in Ohio or Florida. His team has repeatedly said that Trump is focused on finding someone who will “make a great president for eight years after his next four-year term concludes.” Meanwhile, the camps for the competing senators insist they’re not directly engaging in the shadow campaigns, with one Ohio Republican operative describing Vance and Rubio as “friends.”

Still, every consideration has been explored as Trump inches toward a decision – which could come anytime between now and the Republican National Convention later this month. Also, Trump is known to hold grudges and it’s hard to find two Republican governors who have landed on the former president’s bad side more than DeWine and DeSantis.

Eye on the Buckeye State

DeWine has not explicitly endorsed Trump’s third White House bid and recently found himself on opposite sides of the former president in a key Republican Senate primary in the Buckeye State. Trump backed the eventual winner, businessman Bernie Moreno, while DeWine put his name behind state Sen. Matt Dolan.

Though DeWine is a former US senator himself, his allies believe it is incredibly unlikely he would appoint himself to the job if Vance is chosen. Though he has never been close to Trump, DeWine also wouldn’t want a bad relationship with a Republican administration, they say.

“I don’t think Mike DeWine would make a decision based on what Trump would like or hate,” said Ohio Republican strategist Mark Weaver, who has advised DeWine in the past. “I think he does what he thinks is best for Ohio. He does not get caught up in the Trump clamor, much to the chagrin of those caught up in the Trump clamor.”

For DeWine, the choice of successor is a potentially legacy-defining pick, and finding someone who could appease all party factions, from the establishment class to the MAGA wing, and survive a primary challenge in 2026 would be a top priority, Republicans close to the governor told CNN.

Among those in the mix are Dolan, former Ohio Republican Party chair Jane Timken, Secretary of State Frank LaRose and Attorney General Dave Yost.

The Ohio GOP operative added that DeWine, who cannot run for a third term in 2026, is already jockeying for Lt. Gov. Jon Husted to succeed him and is cognizant that angering Trump now could create problems for that race down the line.

Another Ohio Republican familiar with DeWine’s operation noted that the governor has often elevated women into critical roles and would likely consider the opportunity to appoint the state’s first female senator.

Trump-DeSantis relationship in the spotlight

Trump and DeSantis have not discussed potential contenders to fill Rubio’s seat, according to two people close to the governor’s political team. Nor do they believe DeSantis would consider Trump’s wishes when making a decision.

“There are no deals, and he’s not going to trade a Senate seat to help Marco,” a fundraiser close to DeSantis’ political operation said. “I don’t know that he cares about getting back on Trump’s good side that way.”

The person with knowledge of the Trump-DeSantis relationship also confirmed that no such discussions have taken place, though the person added that the former president would be reticent to broach the topic until after he has selected a running mate. Trump is keeping the selection under wraps, and some of his closest aides are unaware which direction he is headed.

If Rubio is Trump’s choice, DeSantis could face a decision on replacing his fellow Florida Republican sooner rather than later. To help avoid constitutional hurdles from sharing a home state with Trump, Rubio could resign his seat and establish residence elsewhere.

In an interview on CNN after last week’s debate, Rubio said it would be “presumptuous” to discuss such a scenario.

“The job has not been offered to me,” he said. “I am not the vice presidential choice. No one is right now. And we’ll cross bridges when we get to them.”

Several people close to DeSantis’ political team believe his chief of staff, James Uthmeier, is at or near the top of the list of people he would consider to succeed Rubio.

Uthmeier, widely considered the Florida governor’s most trusted aide, also took over DeSantis’ embattled presidential campaign down the stretch. As campaign manager, he oversaw DeSantis pivot to a far more aggressive posture against Trump as he tried to gain traction with Republican voters.

“I don’t think that’s a factor,” the person apprised of the Trump-DeSantis relationship said. “ And I do think DeSantis would check in with Trump before making a pick.”

CNN’s Alayna Treene and Kit Maher contributed to this report.

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