Ashley Moody Wins Florida Special Senate Election
Did Moody's law-and-order agenda secure Florida's future or did Nixon's progressive campaign expose cracks in Republican rule?
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Above: Ashley Moody at the Cuban Civic Club in Tampa, Fla., on Nov. 1. Image credit: Octavio Jones/Getty Images
The Facts
- On Tuesday, Republican Sen. Ashley Moody defeated Democratic state Rep. Angie Nixon and independent Neil Gillespie in Florida's special U.S. Senate election, with both Decision Desk HQ and the Associated Press declaring Moody the winner between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. local time Tuesday.
- With 99% of the vote counted by Wednesday afternoon, Moody had won 4,208,022 votes (50.9%), Nixon 3,969,303 votes (48%) and Gillespie 94,538 (1.1%), according to AP.
- In 2025, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Moody to the Senate after Marco Rubio became secretary of state. The former state attorney general will serve the final two years of Rubio's 2022 term, and the seat will return to the ballot in 2028.
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The Spin
Republican narrative
Moody's law-and-order conservatism offers Florida a stronger future than Nixon's democratic socialism. Firm immigration enforcement, public safety and economic prosperity beat rent freezes, mass amnesty and sweeping government entitlements. Florida chose to continue on its freedom-first course.
Democratic narrative
Moody's narrow escape exposes the weakness of Republican rule in a deeply red state. Nixon's grassroots campaign made affordable housing, lower health care costs and universal child care competitive despite a huge money gap. Florida's progressive movement has real momentum as 2028 soon approaches.