Episode Introduction
Jeanette Nuñez joined Breaking Battlegrounds in August 2022 as Florida’s lieutenant governor and Ron DeSantis’ running mate, three months before their reelection. Chuck Warren and Sam Stone asked her about what the administration presented as Florida’s record of success during its first term. Nuñez, a Miami native and the first Hispanic woman elected lieutenant governor of Florida, had spent eight years in the Florida House before joining DeSantis’ ticket. In the second half, David Drucker, then a senior correspondent at the Washington Examiner, walked through the week’s biggest political headlines and the midterm races taking shape across the country.
Quick Answer
On Breaking Battlegrounds Podcast 96, recorded August 13, 2022, Florida Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez discussed the DeSantis administration’s first-term record. Political reporter David Drucker analyzed the 2022 midterms. Nuñez left office in February 2025 to lead Florida International University, where she was confirmed as president in 2025. Drucker now writes for The Dispatch.
Episode Overview
Podcast 96 combines a statewide officeholder with a national political reporter.
Nuñez opened the show to discuss Florida’s direction under Governor Ron DeSantis, which the administration framed as a string of successes. At the time, she was the governor’s running mate in the 2022 election. She was also one of the most prominent Hispanic Republicans in the state.
David Drucker followed with a look at the week’s political news and the elections ahead. He covered Congress, campaigns and national political trends and had recently published a book on the post-Trump Republican Party.
About Jeanette Nuñez
Jeanette Nuñez was born and raised in Miami. She served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2010 to 2018, including two years as Speaker Pro Tempore. In 2018 she was elected lieutenant governor on the DeSantis ticket, becoming the first Hispanic woman elected to the office. Before elected office, she worked in health care government relations at Jackson Health System and HCA.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations and political science and a master’s degree in public administration from Florida International University.
Since this episode aired: DeSantis and Nuñez won reelection in November 2022. On February 7, 2025, FIU’s Board of Trustees named her interim president, effective February 17. The board said the governor’s office had recommended her. In June 2025, after she emerged as the sole finalist, the trustees voted unanimously to make her president, and the state Board of Governors confirmed her. She is FIU’s seventh president, its first alumna to hold the job, and the first woman to lead the university on a permanent basis.
Her appointment drew criticism from some students and faculty, who described it as part of DeSantis’ push for closer control over state universities. A trustee acknowledged that the governor’s involvement may have discouraged other applicants. In August 2025, DeSantis appointed state Sen. Jay Collins to fill the lieutenant governor vacancy.
About David M. Drucker
David M. Drucker is a political reporter who covers Congress, campaigns and national political trends. At the time of this episode, he was a senior correspondent for the Washington Examiner. He had previously reported for Roll Call and covered California politics and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for the Los Angeles Daily News. Before journalism, he spent eight years running a family manufacturing business in Southern California. He is the author of In Trump’s Shadow: The Battle for 2024 and the Future of the GOP.
Drucker joined The Dispatch as a senior writer in 2023.
Key Topics Discussed
- Florida’s direction under Governor Ron DeSantis during his first term
- Jeanette Nuñez’s role as lieutenant governor and DeSantis’ running mate
- The 2022 Florida governor’s race
- The week’s top national political news in mid-August 2022
- Drucker’s outlook for the 2022 midterm elections
Florida Under DeSantis, as Nuñez Described It
Nuñez joined the show to make the case for the administration’s first-term record. The episode description frames that record as Florida’s “incredible success.” That is the administration’s characterization, offered three months before Florida voters weighed in.
The Political Landscape in August 2022
Drucker joined during a crowded stretch of the midterm calendar. The episode was recorded in the final weeks of primary season, as general election matchups for the House, Senate and governor’s races were taking shape. The FBI search of Mar-a-Lago had taken place earlier that week. Neither of these points is a summary of Drucker’s remarks. They are outside context for listeners revisiting the episode.
Editor’s note: Add Drucker’s specific analysis once the transcript is available.
What Happened Next
DeSantis and Nuñez won reelection in November 2022 by roughly 19 points. That was the largest margin in a Florida governor’s race in decades. DeSantis then ran for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, a race Drucker had previewed in his book, and withdrew in January 2024.
Nuñez stayed in office until early 2025, when she left to lead FIU. DeSantis is term-limited in 2026. Rep. Byron Donalds of Naples, a past Breaking Battlegrounds guest, entered the race to succeed him with President Trump’s backing.
Key Takeaways From the Conversation
- Nuñez spoke as DeSantis’ running mate three months before their 2022 reelection.
- She presented the administration’s first term as a record of success for Florida.
- Drucker previewed the midterms during the final weeks of primary season in 2022.
- Nuñez has since moved from elected office to higher education as FIU’s president.
- Drucker has since moved from the Washington Examiner to The Dispatch.
Listen to the Episode
- Listen on the Breaking Battlegrounds website
- Apple Podcasts: Lt. Governor Jeanette Nuñez on Florida’s Incredible Success
- Breaking Battlegrounds on Spotify
Related Breaking Battlegrounds Episodes
For another view from a lieutenant governor’s office that same year, listen to Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan on Georgia’s midterm message. Florida Congressman Byron Donalds, now a candidate for governor, joined the show in 2022 to discuss getting government to work again. Florida’s finances and policy fights came up again in Podcast 229 with CFO Jimmy Patronis and Rep. Greg Steube.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Jeanette Nuñez?
Jeanette Nuñez is the president of Florida International University. A Miami native and FIU graduate, she served in the Florida House from 2010 to 2018 and as Florida’s lieutenant governor under Ron DeSantis from 2019 to 2025. She was the first Hispanic woman elected to that office.
Is Jeanette Nuñez still Florida’s lieutenant governor?
No. Nuñez left the office in February 2025 to become FIU’s interim president. She was named permanent president in June 2025. Governor DeSantis appointed Jay Collins as lieutenant governor in August 2025.
What did Jeanette Nuñez discuss on Breaking Battlegrounds?
In August 2022, Nuñez discussed the DeSantis administration’s first-term record in Florida. The interview took place three months before she and DeSantis won reelection.
Who is David Drucker?
David M. Drucker is a political reporter who covers Congress and campaigns. He was a senior correspondent for the Washington Examiner when this episode was recorded and joined The Dispatch in 2023. He is the author of In Trump’s Shadow: The Battle for 2024 and the Future of the GOP.
Where can I listen to the Jeanette Nuñez episode?
Podcast 96 is available on the Breaking Battlegrounds website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other major podcast platforms.
Conclusion
Podcast 96 captured Florida’s Republican leadership at the height of its first-term confidence, months before a landslide reelection and a presidential run. Nuñez made the administration’s case as its second-highest official. She has since left politics for the presidency of her alma mater. Drucker’s midterm analysis came from a reporter who would soon move to a new outlet and had already written about the Republican Party’s post-Trump future. Read with the updates above, the episode is a snapshot of Florida politics in the summer of 2022.
Related Reads
- Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan on Georgia’s Midterm Message
- Congressman Byron Donalds on Getting Government to Work Again
- Podcast 229: Ilya Shapiro, Jimmy Patronis and Rep. Greg Steube
- Podcast 216: Election Countdown on Pivotal 2024 Races
- Meet the Hosts: Sam Stone and Chuck Warren
Sources
- The Capitolist, FIU interim president appointment (February 2025) and Board of Governors confirmation (2025)
- WUSF / WLRN, FIU trustees’ vote and sole-finalist coverage, May and June 2025
- WLRN, Nuñez investiture as FIU’s seventh president, October 2025
- WGCU, Nuñez named FIU interim president, February 7, 2025
- Florida Politics / Yahoo News, FIU trustees’ vote coverage, 2025
- The Capitolist and CBS Miami, Jay Collins appointed lieutenant governor, August 12, 2025
- Grabien, David M. Drucker profile (The Dispatch)
- Hachette Book Group, David M. Drucker author page
