Florida Senate race: Who will challenge Ashley Moody in November?
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: U.S. Senate race heating up in Florida
Sen. Ashley Moody is four months away from facing Florida voters to see if they want her to remain in the U.S. Senate. Moody, who was appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis in 2025 to replace Marco Rubio, is now seeking her first full term. FOX 13's Evan Axelbank reports.
TAMPA, Fla. - Florida voters will head to the polls Tuesday for the state's special U.S. Senate primary, with Republican Sen. Ashley Moody seeking the nomination and two Democrats competing for a chance to challenge her in November.
Florida Senate special primary
What we know:
Moody, who was appointed to the Senate in January 2025 after Marco Rubio left the seat to become U.S. secretary of state, is seeking to win the remainder of Rubio's term. She has been campaigning for the seat since launching her bid earlier this year.
The special election will determine who serves the remainder of Rubio's term, which runs through January 2029.
Ashley Moody's Senate campaign
The backstory:
Moody, a Republican and former Florida attorney general, has been serving in the Senate since Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed her to replace Rubio.
Moody is running for the first time before Florida voters as a U.S. senator.
Moody is the leading Republican candidate in Tuesday's primary, but she is not technically uncontested. Three Republicans are challenging her: technology consultant Chris Gleason, physician Dr. Neelam Taneja Perry and businessman Ernest "Ernie" Rivera.
Moody's campaign has highlighted her record as Florida attorney general and her support for conservative policies.
The race also gives Florida voters an opportunity to decide whether to keep Moody in the Senate beyond the remainder of Rubio's term.
Democratic primary candidates
Dig deeper:
The more competitive primary is on the Democratic side.
State Rep. Angie Nixon and retired Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman are competing for the Democratic nomination.
Nixon, a Jacksonville Democrat, has positioned herself as a progressive candidate and has emphasized issues including affordability and economic concerns.
Vindman is a retired Army officer and former National Security Council official who became nationally known as a witness in the first impeachment proceedings against then-President Donald Trump. He has made a campaign focused in part on lowering costs and making Florida more affordable.
The Democratic contest has also become a test of the direction of the state's Democratic Party, with Nixon representing its progressive wing and Vindman offering a different path for voters looking to challenge Republicans statewide.
When is the Florida Senate election?
Florida's primary election is happening Tuesday.
The Democratic primary winner will advance to the Nov. 3 general election, where that candidate will face the Republican nominee for the Senate seat.
November election stakes
Why you should care:
The Florida Senate race is one of the state's most closely watched federal contests of 2026.
For Republicans, the election is an opportunity to maintain their hold on a statewide Senate seat after Rubio's departure. For Democrats, defeating Moody would represent a major statewide breakthrough in a state where Republicans have dominated recent statewide elections.
Tuesday’s Democratic primary will determine which candidate gets the opportunity to take on Moody in November.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from official candidate campaign filings and state election updates provided by the Florida Division of Elections, as well as previous FOX 13 News reporting.