Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has announced the appointment of Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Marco Rubio, who is currently undergoing the confirmation process for the position of Secretary of State in President-elect Donald Trump's administration.
Moody, a 49-year-old mother of two, has been serving as the state's attorney general since 2019. Prior to her current role, she worked as an assistant U.S. attorney and a circuit court judge.
As a Republican state attorney general, Moody has been involved in various legal battles, including supporting lawsuits to invalidate the Affordable Care Act, opposing the restoration of voting rights for felons, and advocating against marijuana legalization.
Moody's husband, Justin Duralia, serves as the deputy chief of the Plant City Police Department in Hillsborough County.
If confirmed, Moody has pledged to focus on undoing government regulations and reducing the federal budget. She emphasized the importance of a strong Congress in passing laws and overseeing regulations proposed by government agencies.
While initially endorsed by President Trump and Senators Katie Britt and Rick Scott, Lara Trump, daughter-in-law of Trump and former RNC Co-Chair, withdrew her name from consideration for the Senate seat last month.
Moody will have to run in a 2026 special election to retain the seat, with House Rep. Cory Mills already announcing his candidacy for the position.
Throughout her tenure, Moody has closely aligned with Governor DeSantis, supporting his agenda through legal actions. She has filed lawsuits against the Department of Justice and the Biden administration on various issues, including a federal government effort to impede Florida's investigation into an assassination attempt on Trump and a rule requiring doctors to provide gender transition care.
In 2024, Moody petitioned the Supreme Court to disqualify a Florida ballot measure related to abortion access, citing concerns about misleading language.
