TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) 鈥� Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody will take 鈥檚 seat in the U.S. Senate, Gov. announced Thursday, making Moody only in the chamber.
Elected as the state鈥檚 top law enforcement officer in 2018, Moody campaigned on a pledge to voters that she鈥檇 be a prosecutor, not a politician. But along with DeSantis, she boosted her political profile during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, calling on the federal government to 鈥渉old China responsible鈥� for the outbreak.
In elevating her to the post, DeSantis praised Moody as a key player in his political battles, a law and order prosecutor who's prepared to help President-elect Donald Trump 鈥渟ecure and shut the border," rein in inflation, and overhaul what he described as a federal bureaucracy "run amok."
鈥淚鈥檓 ready to show up and fight for this nation and fight for President Trump to deliver the America First agenda on Day 1,鈥� Moody said during Thursday's announcement at a hotel in Orlando.
鈥淭he only way to return this country to the people, the people who govern it, is to make sure we have a strong Congress doing its job, passing laws and actually approving the regulations that these unelected bureaucrats are trying to cram down on the American people,鈥� she added.
Before running for statewide office, Moody worked as a federal prosecutor. In 2006, she was elected to the post of circuit judge in Hillsborough County, home to Tampa. A fifth generation native of Plant City, Florida, Moody was once named . She's a three-time graduate of the University of Florida and she and her husband, a law enforcement officer, have two sons.
As the state鈥檚 attorney general, Moody has been instrumental in defending DeSantis鈥� conservative agenda in court and has joined other Republican-led states in challenging the Biden administration鈥檚 policies, suing over changes to immigration enforcement, student loan forgiveness and vaccine mandates for federal contractors.
鈥淚鈥檓 happy to say we鈥檝e had an Attorney General that is somebody that has acted time and time again to support the values that we all share,鈥� DeSantis said. 鈥淲e in Florida established our state as a beachhead of liberty, as the free state of Florida. And she was with us every step of the way.鈥�
Moody isn鈥檛 the state鈥檚 only AG to use the office as a stepping stone to a national post. Her predecessor, Pam Bondi, is Trump鈥檚 pick to lead the Justice Department and is testifying Thursday in the Senate.
Under Florida law, it was up to the Republican governor to choose Rubio鈥檚 replacement after Trump picked the three-term senator to be his next . Moody will serve in the Senate until the next general election in 2026, when the seat will be back on the ballot.
Moody has used her office to come to Trump's defense, against a man accused of trying to assassinate Trump at his West Palm Beach country club in September. She was also among the state attorneys general to sign on to the aimed at overturning Joe Biden鈥檚 election victory in 2020.
The attorney general also fought unsuccessfully to keep an off the ballot in Florida in 2024, saying proponents were waging 鈥渁 war鈥� to protect the procedure. The measure did go before voters but ultimately needed to pass.
Moody could play a key role in the hearings for Trump鈥檚 , some of whom are expected to face a tough path to confirmation.
Republicans narrowly hold a majority in the Senate, 53-47, but they are down to 52 after Vice President-elect JD Vance resigned his seat last week ahead of taking office. That means Trump鈥檚 nominees need support from almost every GOP senator for majority confirmation over objections from Democrats.
Republican state Sen. Joe Gruters, a key Trump ally in the state, was among those who had pushed the president-elect鈥檚 daughter-in-law Lara Trump as their top pick for the Senate seat. Lara Trump from consideration in December.
Still, Gruters praised Moody, calling her 鈥渁 winner here in Florida.鈥�
鈥淪he鈥檚 very popular. And I think people see the job that she does and they appreciate her work and her effort at trying to ... keep Florida safe,鈥� Gruters said ahead of the announcement.
Moody鈥檚 appointment opens up a key vacancy in Florida鈥檚 Cabinet, giving DeSantis another shot at expanding his influence in the state. DeSantis will also get to pick a replacement for outgoing Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, who鈥檚 leaving his post to run for former open seat
___ Associated Press writer Freida Frisaro in Fort Lauderdale contributed to this report. Kate Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
Kate Payne And Stephany Matat, The Associated Press
