FLORIDA — With the resignation of Puerto Rico's governor, the island’s “line of succession” is in the spotlight, as well as lines of succession in other parts of the United States.

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What comes next on the island is very much still in question, since the resignation of other administration officials in the face of previous scandals eliminated those might otherwise assume the governor's duties.

The island's office of Secretary of State, which functions like a Lieutenant Governor and thus would have been second-in-line to succeed Rossello, is currently vacant.

As a result, the island's Attorney General will now assume the governorship.

How does Florida compare?

Florida's line of succession is actually very similar to that of Puerto Rico. 

It stays within the cabinet, as described in Article IV, Section III of the Florida Constitution.

If the governor were to resign, the lieutenant governor would assume executive powers.

Should the lieutenant governor be unable to fulfill that duty, the attorney general would take power, followed by the Chief Financial Officer and finally the Commissioner of Agriculture before the Legislature gets involved.

It's all very different from the federal level, which goes from president to vice president and then goes to members of Congress, specifically the Speaker of the House and Senate President.

One of our neighbors to the north, Alabama, has something similar to the federal system.

In the state of Delaware, on the other hand, the governor and lieutenant governor hand off to a secretary of state, then it goes to the state assembly.

What's next in Puerto Rico?

Puerto Rico’s Governor Ricardo Rosselló will officially step down August 2.

Protests began on the island after harsh messages between the governor and his inner circle were published.

Rossello made the announcement in a Facebook video posted just before midnight on Wednesday.

On Thursday, the Puerto Rican House leader introduced legislation to create the position for a lieutenant governor.