Gov. DeSantis taps Florida AG for U.S. Senate

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday appointed current Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody to complete Sen. Marco Rubio’s Senate term. Rubio has been nominated to be the Trump administration’s secretary of state and is expected to resign his Senate seat as soon as he is confirmed. Moody would complete Rubio’s term until a special election in 2026. The winner of that election would then complete the final two years of the term.

Who is Moody? The 49-year-old has been the state attorney general for six years. She was previously the state’s youngest circuit court judge in 2007. She’s considered a staunch DeSantis ally in the state, endorsing him over Trump for the 2024 Republican presidential primary. DeSantis said Moody meets all his criteria: someone who will work with Trump, cut spending, stop inflation, limit federal bureaucracy, and vote for border security measures. She has a record of endorsing all these political positions, he said. “She’s also rejected DEI, ESG, gender ideology, and supported our efforts to ensure Florida’s education is free from impositions of the radical left,” DeSantis said during a news conference. Moody said she is ready to immediately fight for Trump’s “America First” agenda.

How does this change Florida politics? Moody is likely to run next year in the special election to continue to hold the seat, but Rubio’s exit opens the gate for several Republican hopefuls. Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., has said he will likely run for the Senate seat in 2026. With Moody moving to Washington, DeSantis can also appoint a new Florida attorney general. During the Thursday news conference, DeSantis said he would not announce her replacement before Moody is sworn into the Senate but “my chief of staff will have some big shoes to fill.”

Also in Florida, Rep. Byron Donalds is building a team of Trump campaign staffers and has reportedly been calling donors about a potential gubernatorial run. DeSantis will leave office in 2027 due to term limits. 

Dig deeper: Read Lynde Langdon’s report in The Sift about Rubio’s confirmation hearing earlier this week.