Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has selected state Attorney General Ashley Moody to become the next senator from Florida.
The elevation of Moody, a Republican, into the role, once Sen. Marco Rubio (R) resigns to be President-elect Donald Trump’s secretary of State, installs a close DeSantis ally — someone who was the first and only state Cabinet-level official to endorse the governor in the 2024 Republican presidential primary over Trump.
The seat will open up soon, with Rubio on a glide path to become Trump’s secretary of State shortly after he is inaugurated. Moody will hold the seat through at least a 2026 special election.
“Governor: I want you to know I will not let you down,” she said at a news conference in Orlando. “I will not let the citizens of Florida down, and I will not let my country down.”
