Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has picked Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody to replace Marco Rubio in the U.S. Senate. Rubio is President-elect Donald Trump's choice to serve as U.S. Secretary of State.
DeSantis announced his choice on Thursday at a press conference in Orlando, Fla., and praised Moody for fighting against policies he describes as part of the Democratic Party's "woke agenda."
"In every major battle we have had since I have been governor, she has been with us every step of the way — not just talk, it's results," DeSantis said. "And these results are very, very important, and she understands the gravity of the moment."
Moody has served as attorney general for Florida since 2019. Last year, as the state's AG, she sued the Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell and a former FEMA supervisor for allegedly violating the civil rights of Florida residents in the response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
The lawsuit accused FEMA officials of discriminating against Trump supporters by withholding hurricane aid after reports that a FEMA supervisor directed workers to skip over houses that displayed Trump signs and flags. That supervisor was later fired.
Moody, speaking at the press conference Thursday, also expressed her willingness to focus on illegal immigration in the U.S. Senate and other priorities of the incoming Trump administration.
"I'm ready to show up and fight for this nation and fight for President Trump to deliver the American first agenda on Day 1," she said.
Florida Democratic Party chair Nikki Fried says she's known Moody since they both attended the University of Florida. In 2017, she hosted a fundraiser for Moody in her bid to become Florida's AG, posting on Facebook, "regardless of personal political affiliations, I hope that Gator nation will support Ashley." But that support has since changed.
"She's been a huge disappointment for any of us who have known her for so many years," Fried said when asked about DeSantis' pick Thursday. "As a U.S. Senator, she will be another vote for the MAGA extremism and won't put the people of our state first."
If Rubio is confirmed, Moody is expected to serve until the next scheduled election for the seat in 2026.
— Adrian Andrews and Tristan Wood of member station WFSU, reporting from Tallahassee, contributed to this story.
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