DeSantis picks Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody to replace Marco Rubio

On By Littum

Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida on Thursday named Ashley Moody, the Republican attorney general, to replace Marco Rubio in the U.S. Senate, elevating a close ally of Mr. Rubio’s seat after being confirmed as President-elect Donald J. Trump’s secretary of state.

“I wanted someone with a demonstrated record of delivering results,” said Mr. DeSantis in Orlando before announcing Ms. Moody as Mr. Rubio’s successor. The announcement came a day after Mr. Rubio’s confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee went smoothly. He is expected to easily win confirmation in a vote in the full Senate.

Mrs. Moody, like Mr. DeSantis elected to statewide office in 2018 and re-elected in 2022. She had been seen as a front-runner for Mr. Rubio’s seat, and appeared at Mr. DeSantis’ side at recent public events where she and the governor supported the incoming Trump administration’s hard line on immigration.

Mrs. Moody, 49, is a fifth-generation Floridian. Before she was elected attorney general, she was a circuit court judge in Hillsborough County, home of Tampa. She had previously worked as a federal prosecutor. Moody and her husband, a law enforcement officer, have two sons.

Although several Florida members of Congress were interested in replacing Mr. Rubio, did Mr. DeSantis made it clear earlier this week that he was not inclined to choose either, for fear of leaving House Republicans with too narrow a majority in that chamber.

After Mr. Trump chose Mr. With Rubio as his choice for secretary of state in November, Republicans fielded Lara Trump, the incoming president’s daughter-in-law, who had served as chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, for the Florida Senate seat. But Mr. DeSantis was not warm to the idea, and Mrs. Trump withdrew from consideration last month.

Moody would serve in the Senate until an election is held in 2026. Mr. DeSantis will also be term-limited that year. Mrs. Moody had been seen as one of numerous Florida Republicans potentially interested in running for governor.