Florida voters will choose a U.S. Senate successor to Marco Rubio on Election Day, one week from the date of the report. Incumbent Republican Ashley Moody faces Democrat Angie Nixon, with independent Neil Gillespie also on the ballot.
Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Moody to the seat in January 2025, after Rubio became U.S. Secretary of State. The winner will serve the final two years of Rubio’s term, and the seat will be up again in 2028.
Moody, a former two-term attorney general from Plant City, is campaigning on law enforcement and public safety. During a stop in Martin County with Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, she highlighted tax cuts tied to President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill.” She has described the race as a choice between safety and chaos.
Nixon, a state representative and labor organizer from Jacksonville, won a Democratic primary against a more centrist opponent who had raised significantly more money. A member of the Democratic Socialists of America, she has campaigned with U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders and backs a $25 minimum wage and Medicare for All. Her message centers on affordability.
Florida has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 2012, and recent polling shows Moody leading by about four percentage points heading into the final week. Early voting is underway.
