Republican Ashley Moody wins Florida Senate special election

Summarised from 3 outlets · 4 reports · Updated 4 Nov, 02:03 · Archive

Republican Ashley Moody defeated Democrat Angie Nixon in Florida's special election on Tuesday to retain the Senate seat she was appointed to in January 2025, when Marco Rubio became US secretary of state. Moody will serve the remainder of Rubio's term, which ends in early 2028 or 2029, depending on the source.

Moody, 51, is a former Florida attorney general who previously worked as a commercial litigator and federal prosecutor. Nixon, 42, is a state lawmaker representing portions of Jacksonville who identifies as a democratic socialist. Nixon upset a more moderate opponent to win the Democratic primary, making the general election a contest between the party's progressive and establishment wings.

Polling before the election gave Moody a clear but narrow advantage. Moody campaigned by portraying Nixon as a 'socialist' intent on defunding the police and military, abolishing prisons and supporting unchecked immigration and noncitizen voting. She lauded Trump's immigration policies but largely refrained from praising the president personally, mindful of his strong disapproval ratings. Nixon, meanwhile, campaigned on affordability and political corruption, pointing to Moody's role as attorney general during the Hope Florida scandal, in which DeSantis's administration diverted $10m in Medicaid funding to political committees.

Progressive Democrats, including Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, campaigned with Nixon in central Florida, an immigrant-heavy region where Trump administration detention and deportation policies proved unpopular. Despite these efforts, the election tested whether Florida remained reliably Republican after the party built a 1.5 million-voter registration advantage, or whether Democrats could restore the state's status as a battleground. President Trump won Florida by 13 points in 2024, and Democrats have not won a Senate seat there since 2012.

Nixon's defeat is unlikely to heal divisions within Florida's struggling Democratic Party. The Independent reports her general election loss comes as Democrats grapple with differing visions for the party's future, following a cycle in which progressive candidates won several primary contests.

How it is being reported

• Republican Ashley Moody wins Florida Senate election, CBS News projectsRepublican Sen. Ashley Moody beat Democrat Angie Nixon in the Florida Senate race, CBS News projects, keeping the seat in GOP hands.CBS News · 4 Nov, 02:06
• Democratic socialist Angie Nixon loses Florida Senate raceRepublican Ashley Moody won election Tuesday to the U.S. Senate representing Florida, defeating Democrat Angie NixonIndependent World · 4 Nov, 01:52
• Ashley Moody wins Florida 2026 Senate electionGOP Sen. Ashley Moody defeated Democrat Angie Nixon in the Florida Senate race, CBS News projects, keeping the seat under Republican control.CBS News · 4 Nov, 01:44
• Republican Ashley Moody defeats progressive Angie Nixon in Florida Senate raceMoody was elected over Nixon in a contest seen as a measure of whether the state remains reliably Republican US midterm elections – live updates Track live results from all 50 states Ashley Moody fended off a challenge from Angie Nixon, a democratic socialist, to win Florida’s special election and retain her seat in the US Senate. It was the first election win for the Republican, who was appointed by Florida’s governor Ron DeSantis in January 2025, when Marco Rubio became US secretary of state. Moody will serve the remainder of his term until the 2028 election. Continue reading...Guardian World · 4 Nov, 01:41

In this story: Ashley Moody · Angie Nixon · Marco Rubio · Ron DeSantis · Florida · Bernie Sanders · Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez · Donald Trump

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log