Moody retains Florida Senate seat after defeating progressive challenger Nixon
The Republican appointee wins a special election, ending a decade of Democratic struggles in statewide contests.
By Grace Anderson ·
Florida voters returned Ashley Moody to the US Senate on Tuesday. The special election concluded a race that tested the state’s shifting political alignment.
Moody defeated Angie Nixon, a democratic socialist. This marks the first election victory for the Republican, who assumed the seat in January 2025 after Marco Rubio left for the State Department. She will now serve until the 2028 cycle.
Nixon sought to overturn Moody’s narrow polling lead by courting progressive support. Senators Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez campaigned for her last month in central Florida. They targeted areas with high immigrant populations where federal deportation policies are unpopular.
Moody campaigned on Nixon’s ideological label. She described the challenger as a socialist intent on defunding police and the military. Moody also argued Nixon supported noncitizen voting and unchecked immigration.
The candidate praised President Donald Trump’s immigration stance but avoided broader endorsements. She omitted references to his recent approval ratings regarding the Iran war and gas prices. Nixon focused her message on affordability and political corruption.
Nixon frequently cited the Hope Florida scandal. She highlighted Moody’s role as attorney general when the DeSantis administration moved $10 million in Medicaid funds to political committees. In a viral interview, Nixon stated she wanted Moody in prison rather than abolishing the system itself.
