Who is Ashley Moody, Rubio's replacement in the Senate?
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R ) appointed the state’s Attorney General Ashley Moody (R) to the Senate on Thursday, catapulting a rising star in Florida politics into the national spotlight.
Moody will replace President-elect Trump’s secretary of State pick Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) in the Senate. DeSantis said on Thursday that Moody would “mostly likely” be sworn in on Monday afternoon, following Trump’s inauguration.
Her appointment marks Moody’s foray into the Washington scene, but she has long been rising in the legal and political ranks of Florida.
During his announcement DeSantis noted that Moody is a member of a fifth-generation family from Plant City, Fla., located in Hillsborough County. She is the daughter of senior U.S. District Court Judge James Moody, who represents the state’s Middle District. Moody attended law school at the University of Florida and holds a masters in international law from Stetson University.
She began her legal career at the firm Holland and Knight and went on in 2006 at the age of 31 to become the youngest judge in the state when she was elected Circuit Court Judge of the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit in Hillsborough County, according to the state attorney general’s website.
In 2018, Moody was elected to serve as the state’s attorney general. She succeeded former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is Trump's nominee to lead the Justice Department.
Moody has a long history of supporting Trump in her role as Florida’s top prosecutor. In 2020, she supported Trump by backing the Texas v. Pennsylvania lawsuit that aimed to overturn the results of the presidential election that year. And last month, she charged Ryan Wesley Routh, the man accused of attempting to assassinate Trump, at one of his Florida golf courses, with attempted felony murder.
But she has not always been a vocal Trump supporter. She accused the president-elect of fraud related to a real estate deal in a 2009 federal lawsuit. However, after backing Trump, she said in 2017 that the matter had no bearing on her support for him.
“This matter had absolutely no bearing on my family’s support of our President during the election, and I continue to support him and his agenda in Washington,” Moody said in a statement to Politico at the time.
Moody’s nomination has been met with praise from other Republicans, including Florida’s former governor and soon-to-be senior Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.).
“Ashley has done an incredible job fighting for Floridians and keeping our communities safe as Attorney General. I have no doubt she will do an incredible job as senator!” Scott said in a post on X.
National Republican Senatorial Campaign Chair Tim Scott (R-Fla.) praised Moody as a “proven conservative fighter for President Trump’s agenda” in a statement on Thursday.
“As Attorney General, she has been a national leader on border security, a champion of safe streets, and an unyielding defender of the rights of Floridians,” Scott said. “As a mom of two, she understands the importance of our Republican Majority's mission to deliver generational opportunities for families.”
Moody will serve in the Senate for the next two years, but it’s unclear whether she will run again for the seat in the 2026 midterms. Florida Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.), who was also considered for the position by DeSantis, said last week “you can probably guarantee my hat is going to be thrown in the ring for 2026.”
Topics
-
Ron DeSantis picks Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody to fill Marco Rubio's Senate seat
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday appointed state Attorney General Ashley Moody to the U.S. Senate, setting her up to fill Sen. Marco Rubio's seat when he joins the Trump administraiton.NBC News - 4h -
DeSantis appoints Florida AG Ashley Moody to U.S. Senate
Governor Ron DeSantis has appointed Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Marco Rubio.NBC News - 5h -
DeSantis picks Florida AG Ashley Moody to replace Rubio in the Senate
The seat will open up soon, with Rubio on a glide path to become Trump’s secretary of State shortly after he is inaugurated.Politico - 7h -
DeSantis picks Ashley Moody, Florida attorney general, to replace Rubio in Senate
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Thursday that Ashley Moody, the state's attorney general, will replace Marco Rubio in the Senate.CBS News - 3h -
Who is Ashley Moody? DeSantis' pick for Rubio's Senate seat explained
The Florida attorney general will serve as U.S. senator until the next general election in 2026 when the seat returns to the ballot.CBS News - 3h -
Will Ashley Moody, DeSantis' Rubio replacement, be another Trump ally in Senate?
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has selected Ashley Moody, the Sunshine State's attorney general, to replace Sen. Marco Rubio as he vies for the secretary of state role. CBS News' Scott MacFarlane reports.CBS News - 4h -
DeSantis picks Florida AG Ashley Moody to fill Marco Rubio's Senate seat
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday chose the state's attorney general, Ashley Moody, to take the Senate seat being vacated by Marco Rubio, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of ...CBS News - 6h -
DeSantis picks Florida AG Ashley Moody to replace Rubio in Senate
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has tapped the state’s Republican attorney general, Ashley Moody, to replace Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) in the Senate following his nomination to serve as ...The Hill - 6h -
Watch live: DeSantis announces Rubio's replacement to Senate
Gov. Ron DeSantis is holding a news conference Thursday morning where he named a replacement for Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who was tapped by President-elect Trump to lead the State Department. ...The Hill - 6h
More from The Hill
-
Evening Report — Democrats take 'class war' to Trump's Cabinet picks
💸 Plus: Rudy Giuliani's surprise settlement {beacon} Evening Report © Greg Nash Trump Cabinet picks' wealth draws Dem scrutiny DEMOCRATS ARE TAKING AIM at the accumulated wealth of ...The Hill - 28m -
Durbin seeks information from Patel personnel files at national security agencies
Sen. Dick Durbin (Ill.), the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, asked a suite of agencies that previously employed Kash Patel to turn over information on possible misconduct of ...The Hill - 1h -
In Panama, we're a laughing stock because of Trump
Donald Trump's threats to take back the Panama Canal have been met with laughter and mockery by Panamanians, who view him as a buffoon, while also taking his threats seriously due to America's ...The Hill - 1h -
Georgia state senator arrested during governor’s speech
Georgia State Sen. Colton Moore (R) was arrested and transported to the Fulton County Jail on Thursday for attempting to enter the House Chamber to hear Gov. Brian Kemp’s (R) state address after ...The Hill - 1h -
Trump floats adding Los Angeles aid to reconciliation bill
President-elect Trump floated the idea Thursday of including federal aid to Los Angeles in the wake of deadly fires as part of a massive reconciliation package, suggesting that doing so would win ...The Hill - 1h
More in Politics
-
Biden to defer TikTok law implementation to Trump administration
NBC News Anchor Savannah Sellers joins Meet the Press NOW with reporting that the Biden administration will not plan to levy fines against companies that allow access to TikTok in the U.S. during ...NBC News - 20m -
Biden has not ‘flip-flopped’ on TikTok ban he signed into law, says Democratic congressman
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), Ranking Member of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, reacts to the Biden administration’s decision to shift implementation of the TikTok ...NBC News - 20m -
Evening Report — Democrats take 'class war' to Trump's Cabinet picks
💸 Plus: Rudy Giuliani's surprise settlement {beacon} Evening Report © Greg Nash Trump Cabinet picks' wealth draws Dem scrutiny DEMOCRATS ARE TAKING AIM at the accumulated wealth of ...The Hill - 28m -
Durbin seeks information from Patel personnel files at national security agencies
Sen. Dick Durbin (Ill.), the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, asked a suite of agencies that previously employed Kash Patel to turn over information on possible misconduct of ...The Hill - 1h -
In Panama, we're a laughing stock because of Trump
Donald Trump's threats to take back the Panama Canal have been met with laughter and mockery by Panamanians, who view him as a buffoon, while also taking his threats seriously due to America's ...The Hill - 1h