Lt. Gov. Jay Collins suggested many politicians seeking higher office might be chasing attention instead of responsibility. Florida, he told a Florida TaxWatch gathering in Orlando, deserved more than that.

“We do hard things. We lead not because we chase the headlines,” Collins said. “I don’t want any more paparazzi-chasing politicians. I want men and women who are willing to step into the breach and lead.”

Collins, a Tampa Republican, is rumored to be considering a run for Governor in 2026, where he could face some cable news fixtures like Republican U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds and Democratic MSNBC contributor David Jolly .

But Collins brushed off questions whether he was considering a run himself. Instead, he repeatedly stressed in a speech in Orlando that he never intended

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