Moody holds Florida Senate seat for GOP

Republican Senator Ashley Moody won Florida's special Senate election, CBS News projected, defeating Democrat Angie Nixon and keeping the seat in Republican hands ¹.

Moody, 51, was appointed last year to fill the vacancy left when Marco Rubio became Secretary of State ¹. She previously served as Florida's attorney general, after working as a commercial litigator and federal prosecutor ¹. With the projected victory, she will serve out the remainder of Rubio's term, which ends in early 2029 ¹.

On tapeNBC News · Nov 4

▶3:53

Nixon, 42, has represented parts of the Jacksonville area in the Florida Statehouse since 2020 ¹. She is a democratic socialist who upset a more moderate opponent in the primary ¹. Her primary win was among a series of victories by progressive-left candidates this cycle, as Democrats grappled with differing visions for the party's future ¹.

Florida has become increasingly red, and President Trump won the state by 13 points in 2024 ¹. Nixon's opponents seized on the socialist label, which may have alienated some immigrant populations who fled socialist governments ¹. Nixon pushed back, saying "it's not about labels," while stressing her commitment to healthcare and housing affordability ¹.

From Channel GOPAngie Nixon lists what her Senate target won't discussAngie Nixon · 147 plays · captioned, with the source named

The Guardian reported that polling before Tuesday gave Moody a clear but narrow advantage ². Both Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez rallied with Nixon last month in central Florida, an immigrant-heavy section of the state where the Trump administration's detention and deportation policies have proved unpopular ². The contest was also seen as a gauge of whether Florida remained reliably Republican after the party built a 1.5 million-voter registration advantage ².

Moody focused her campaign on denouncing Nixon as a "socialist" and portrayed her alignment with the Democratic Socialists of America as evidence she intended to defund the police and the military, abolish prisons and support unchecked immigration and noncitizen voting ². Moody lauded Trump's immigration policies but, mindful of his strong disapproval ratings over the Iran war and high gas prices, largely refrained from praising him personally ².

On tapeCBS News · Nov 4

▶2:10

Nixon campaigned on affordability and corruption in politics, frequently referring to Moody's role as attorney general in the so-called Hope Florida scandal, in which the DeSantis administration diverted a $10 million Medicaid payout to political committees ². In an interview that provided one of her campaign's most viral moments, Nixon said: "I don't want to abolish prisons, because I want Ashley Moody in one of them" ².

Moody's win keeps a Republican in a Senate seat Democrats had hoped to flip ¹.

The Record

1. Jan 1, 2025Ashley Moody was appointed to the Senate by Governor Ron DeSantis in January 2025, when Marco Rubio became Secretary of State ².
2. Nov 3, 2026Moody defeated Democrat Angie Nixon in Florida's special Senate election, CBS News projected ¹.

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<h2>Moody holds Florida Senate seat for GOP</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files Campaign Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/moody-holds-florida-senate-seat-for-gop">The GOP Files</a> on Wednesday, November 4, 2026.</em></p> <p>Republican Senator Ashley Moody won Florida&#39;s special Senate election, CBS News projected, defeating Democrat Angie Nixon and keeping the seat in Republican hands .</p> <p>Moody, 51, was appointed last year to fill the vacancy left when Marco Rubio became Secretary of State . She previously served as Florida&#39;s attorney general, after working as a commercial litigator and federal prosecutor . With the projected victory, she will serve out the remainder of Rubio&#39;s term, which ends in early 2029 .</p> <p>Nixon, 42, has represented parts of the Jacksonville area in the Florida Statehouse since 2020 . She is a democratic socialist who upset a more moderate opponent in the primary . Her primary win was among a series of victories by progressive-left candidates this cycle, as Democrats grappled with differing visions for the party&#39;s future .</p> <p>Florida has become increasingly red, and President Trump won the state by 13 points in 2024 . Nixon&#39;s opponents seized on the socialist label, which may have alienated some immigrant populations who fled socialist governments . Nixon pushed back, saying &quot;it&#39;s not about labels,&quot; while stressing her commitment to healthcare and housing affordability .</p> <p>The Guardian reported that polling before Tuesday gave Moody a clear but narrow advantage . Both Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez rallied with Nixon last month in central Florida, an immigrant-heavy section of the state where the Trump administration&#39;s detention and deportation policies have proved unpopular . The contest was also seen as a gauge of whether Florida remained reliably Republican after the party built a 1.5 million-voter registration advantage .</p> <p>Moody focused her campaign on denouncing Nixon as a &quot;socialist&quot; and portrayed her alignment with the Democratic Socialists of America as evidence she intended to defund the police and the military, abolish prisons and support unchecked immigration and noncitizen voting . Moody lauded Trump&#39;s immigration policies but, mindful of his strong disapproval ratings over the Iran war and high gas prices, largely refrained from praising him personally .</p> <p>Nixon campaigned on affordability and corruption in politics, frequently referring to Moody&#39;s role as attorney general in the so-called Hope Florida scandal, in which the DeSantis administration diverted a $10 million Medicaid payout to political committees . In an interview that provided one of her campaign&#39;s most viral moments, Nixon said: &quot;I don&#39;t want to abolish prisons, because I want Ashley Moody in one of them&quot; .</p> <p>Moody&#39;s win keeps a Republican in a Senate seat Democrats had hoped to flip .</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/moody-holds-florida-senate-seat-for-gop">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/moody-holds-florida-senate-seat-for-gop.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. CBS News, “Ashley Moody projected to win Florida Senate election” (2026-11-04). cbsnews.com/news/florida-2026-senate-moody-nixon/
2. The Guardian, “Republican Ashley Moody defeats progressive Angie Nixon in Florida Senate race” (2026-11-04). theguardian.com/us-news/2026/nov/03/ashley-moody-wins-florid

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