Reaction Pours In After Gov. Ron DeSantis Selects Ashley Moody to Fill Rubio’s Senate Seat
By Space Coast Daily // January 16, 2025
President-Elect Trump chose Marco Rubio to be his new Secretary of State
ABOVE VIDEO: Gov. Ron DeSantis Selects Ashley Moody to Fill Rubio’s Senate Seat
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s appointment of Attorney General Ashley Moody to the U.S. Senate, replacing Marco Rubio, has elicited a range of reactions from political figures and analysts.
Gov. DeSantis made the announcement during a press conference Thursday morning in Orlando.”
“I applaud Governor DeSantis on his selection of Attorney General Ashley Moody as our state’s next U.S. Senator and look forward to working with her in the halls of Congress as we fight to Make America Great Again.”
Florida Democratic Party
“Ashley Moody has been Ron’s personal lapdog from day one,” said FDP Chair Nikki Fried. “Despite her role as an independent constitutional officer, she has insisted on calling him ‘boss’ and defended his extreme agenda at every turn. Her reward is a seat in the United States Senate, paid for by her loyalty to Ron and her failure to serve Floridians.
“As Attorney General, Ashley ignored the growing property insurance crisis and let wealthy corporations rip off Floridians. Instead, she spent her time chasing political attention and currying favor with the far right. She worked for over a year to silence the voices of Floridians who wanted Amendment 4 on the ballot, weaponizing state law and the Florida Constitution to score the political points that got her this appointment.
“As a Senator, Ashley will no doubt take her marching orders exclusively from Donald Trump with no regard for what’s best for the people of Florida — she may even just keep the seat warm until Ron runs in 2026. Ashley Moody failed Florida as Attorney General, and she’ll fail Florida in the Senate.”
Moody will take over for Rubio, who has been chosen by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as Secretary of State. A seasoned figure in Florida politics, Moody, 49, has been a familiar name to state political observers for nearly a decade.
A native of Plant City, Moody first gained public attention in 1993 when she was crowned the Florida Strawberry Queen at just 17 years old.
She pursued her education at the University of Florida, where she discovered her passion for politics. Moody went on to earn a master’s degree in international law from Stetson University College of Law and completed her Juris Doctor at UF.
Moody’s legal career began at the prominent Florida law firm Holland & Knight before she became an assistant U.S. attorney in Florida’s Middle District. At the age of 31, she made history as the youngest circuit court judge in Hillsborough County.
Her political journey started in 2018 when she ran for and won the office of Florida Attorney General. After taking office in 2019, Moody secured re-election for a second term in 2022.