Sen. Ashley Moody campaigns across Florida ahead of Nov. 3 special election
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The gist
Republican Sen. Ashley Moody is campaigning across Florida against Democrat Angie Nixon before the Nov. 3 special election.
Both sides carry presidential endorsements, and Moody faces scrutiny over press access.
Background
Ashley Moody is a Republican U.S. Senator and Florida's former attorney general, appointed to the Senate by Gov. Ron DeSantis in January 2025 after Marco Rubio left the seat to become U.S. Secretary of State. She faces Angie Nixon, a Florida Democratic state representative, in a special election whose winner will serve the rest of the six-year term and be up for re-election in 2028. The race gained national attention after Nixon, a heavy underdog, won the Democratic primary over Alexander Vindman, who out-raised her more than 17 to one. Moody has drawn scrutiny over her media approach: an August Politico report said she avoids larger rallies and sticks with small stops and Fox News interviews, and Florida Democrats adopted the slogan "Where is Ashley Moody?"
How it unfolded
- Jan 2025Moody was appointed to the U.S. Senate by Gov. Ron DeSantis after Marco Rubio left the seat to become U.S. Secretary of State.
- Aug 18, 2026Angie Nixon won the Democratic primary over Alexander Vindman, who had out-raised her more than 17 to one.
- Oct 19, 2026Moody and U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna held a rally at The Original Crabby Bill's in Indian Rocks Beach before a crowd of around 100; Moody and Luna spoke to reporters for under six minutes.
- Oct 22, 2026Moody held a campaign event in Stuart with Dr. Mehmet Oz and Florida's 9th District GOP nominee Dan Green, highlighting her fight against fraud and her legislative priorities.
- Oct 24, 2026Former President Barack Obama endorsed Angie Nixon; Moody is endorsed by President Donald Trump.
- Oct 26, 2026Moody campaigned in the Panhandle with gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds, held a roundtable with DeSantis, and was expected to end the day at an event in St. Petersburg with DeSantis.
- Nov 3, 2026Election Day for the special election; the winner will serve the remainder of the six-year Senate term.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- Moody dismissed critics who say she avoids press questions as "hogwash," saying she has been all over the state talking to the media, and said she is trying to get coverage of how different she is from Nixon, whom she called a radical socialist.
- Support
- Rep. Anna Paulina Luna told a rally crowd that Nixon was afraid to debate Moody, saying candidates should not call to jail a sitting senator over disagreements.
- Party
- Nixon called Moody a "lying, cheating, thieving, scamming person" who took $10 million from sick kids in the Medicaid program and rerouted it into political slush funds.
- Support
- Former President Barack Obama said he believes Nixon will be an outstanding U.S. Senator and urged voters to cast ballots for her on or before November 3.
Still unverified
A leaked grand jury report accused the state of buying political ads with $10 million in money meant to help disabled Floridians through the Hope Florida charity; Nixon has called for Moody to be jailed over her alleged role, and the Republican Party of Florida has threatened criminal prosecution of news outlets that mention the report, according to a Florida Trident investigation.