Ashley Moody enters Florida U.S. Senate race as fundraising battle with Alex Vindman takes shape
U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody officially entered the race to keep her seat Thursday, paying the qualifying fee one day before the deadline to run for the office she was appointed to last year.
Moody, a 51-year-old Republican from Plant City, is seeking to secure the seat through a special election that coincides with the regular 2026 cycle. She faces Republican primary challengers Neelam Taneja Perry, Chris Gleason and Ernie Rivera, while Democrats Alex Vindman and Angie Nixon are competing for their party's nomination.
In a statement, Moody emphasized her alignment with former President Donald Trump, backing his "America First policies that promote law and order, economic prosperity, and American sovereignty," and pointing to provisions in last year's "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," including tax cuts on tips, overtime and Social Security income.
"There's a lot more work to do," Moody said. "I look forward to traveling the Sunshine State and earning your vote!"
Who is running and where the race stands
Moody's formal entry comes a day after Vindman joined the race. Vindman, 50, gained national attention in 2019 when he testified before Congress that he witnessed Trump pressuring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to investigate then-candidate Joe Biden and his son ahead of the 2020 election.
Speaking to reporters this week, Vindman framed his campaign around affordability in Florida.
"That's a fundamental message to get across, that there is a fighter in your corner, not a fighter for corporate interests … but a fighter in your corner," he said.
Financial filings show a competitive early fundraising landscape.
Vindman has raised $8 million since launching his campaign in January, with $6.2 million on hand as of April 1. Moody reported $7.13 million in her campaign account at the same time.
The qualifying period for candidates ended at noon this Friday.
Moody is widely viewed as the front-runner in both the Republican primary and general election, bolstered by two previous statewide victories and the GOP's voter registration advantage in Florida. No Democrat has won a U.S. Senate race in the state since Bill Nelson was reelected in 2012.
Recent polling has shown Moody leading with support ranging from 43% to 50%.
Moody's background and how the special election works
Before entering politics, Moody worked in civil litigation at Holland & Knight and later served as a federal prosecutor. In 2006, she was elected as a Hillsborough County circuit judge.
She rose to statewide office in 2018, defeating Democratic lawmaker Sean Shaw to become Florida attorney general, and won reelection in 2020 over former state attorney Aramis Ayala by more than 21 percentage points.
During her tenure, Moody frequently aligned with Gov. Ron DeSantis, joining legal challenges against Biden administration policies on issues including immigration and the federal pandemic response. She also requested an investigation into former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg over efforts to help felons pay legal fees to restore voting rights; that probe ended without charges.
DeSantis appointed Moody to the U.S. Senate in January 2025 after Marco Rubio resigned to become secretary of state.
Because Rubio's term runs through 2028, the upcoming contest is a special election. The winner will serve the remainder of the term, about two years, before the seat goes back before voters again.