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NBC News projects that Republican Ashley Moody has won the Florida Senate race, defeating Democrat Angie Nixon. Moody, who was appointed to fill Marco Rubio's seat, faced Nixon and independent Neil Gillespie in the election. This victory allows Moody to serve the remaining two years of Rubio's term, with the seat up for election again in 2028.
Moody, a former state attorney general, was considered the favorite in the race. She ran a traditional Republican campaign and leveraged a significant fundraising advantage to dominate the airwaves in Florida, a state with 23 million residents. Despite criticism for declining to debate and conducting fewer public events than Nixon, Moody maintained her lead. Nixon, aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America, had gained national attention after her primary win, but faced financial disadvantages throughout the campaign.
Moody's campaign focused on portraying Nixon as too liberal for Florida, emphasizing policies associated with the Democratic Socialists of America. Nixon distanced herself from some of these policies, but Moody's messaging resonated with the state's Republican majority.
Moody's victory continues the GOP's dominance in Florida, where Republicans now outnumber Democrats by 1.5 million registered voters. The race was also marked by Moody's ties to the Hope Florida scandal, involving a Medicaid settlement directed to a charity linked to Florida's first lady, Casey DeSantis. Moody denied any wrongdoing, and no charges were filed after a grand jury review.
NBC News and The Washington Post reported on the election results and the dynamics of the race.