Moody retains Florida Senate seat in special election
The Republican appointee defeated Angie Nixon, who had drawn national attention from progressive leaders during a campaign focused on cost of living and state scandals.
By Ariana Flores ·
Ashley Moody defeated Angie Nixon in Tuesday’s special election for Florida’s US Senate seat. The result secures the position for the Republican, who was appointed to the role in January 2025 by Governor Ron DeSantis when Marco Rubio moved to the State Department. Moody will now serve the remainder of the term until the 2028 general election.
This marks the first electoral victory for Moody. Before the appointment, she served as Florida’s attorney general. Her opponent, Nixon, is a democratic socialist who challenged Moody in a race that polled as a narrow contest in the weeks leading up to the vote.
Nixon sought to close the polling gap with the support of prominent progressive figures. Last month, Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez campaigned in central Florida. That region has a high immigrant population and has shown dissatisfaction with the Trump administration’s detention and deportation policies.
The race served as a test for the state’s political leanings. Republicans hold a registration advantage of 1.5 million voters in Florida. Democrats have not won a statewide race in the state for ten years. The outcome will indicate whether that registration gap remains a decisive barrier for challengers.
Moody’s campaign centered on labeling Nixon a "socialist". She argued that Nixon’s ties to the Democratic Socialists of America signaled support for defunding police and the military, abolishing prisons, and allowing noncitizen voting. Moody praised Trump’s immigration policies but avoided strong personal endorsements of the president, citing his low approval ratings related to the Iran conflict and gas prices.
Nixon focused on affordability and political corruption. She highlighted the Hope Florida scandal, where the DeSantis administration diverted a $10 million Medicaid payout to political committees. In a viral interview moment, Nixon stated, "I don't want to abolish prisons, because I want Ashley Moody in one of them."
