4 Things To Know About Ashley Moody: DeSantis' Pick To Fill Rubio’s Senate Seat

FLORIDA — Gov. Ron DeSantis has named Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody to fill Marco Rubio’s U.S. Senate seat.

Rubio will vacate the seat after being tapped to serve as the U.S. secretary of state in President-elect Donald Trump’s administration.

"Florida deserves a senator who stands unapologetically for conservative principles, supports law enforcement, has a strong record of combatting illegal immigration, and is ready to deliver on President Trump's agenda," DeSantis wrote in a Thursday morning post to X, formerly Twitter. "Attorney General Ashley Moody's exemplary track record shows her commitment to these principles."

• Also Read: Trump Taps FL Republicans Rubio, Waltz For Key Foreign Policy Roles

He announced her appointment during a Thursday news conference at an Orlando hotel.

Here are 4 Things To Know About Moody:

1) Second Woman To Serve In U.S. Senate for Florida:

Once Rubio officially resigns from the chamber, Moody, 49, will join the U.S. Senate ranks and serve in the role until 2026, CNN reported. At that time, she’ll be able to run in a special election to fill the last two years of Rubio’s term.

This will make Moody only the second woman to represent Florida in the U.S. Senate, the first being the late Paula F. Hawkins, a Republican who served from 1981 to 1987.

2) Florida Native, Pageant Queen, Law School Grad:

A Plant City native, Moody was named the Florida Strawberry Queen in 1993 when she was 17. She became politically active while studying at the University of Florida. Initially a Democrat, she later joined the Republican Party while Jeb Bush served as governor, according to Florida Politics.

She served as a student representative for the state’s Board of Regents, which was later replaced by the State University System Board of Governors.

After earning a master’s degree in international law from Stetson University of Law and her law degree from the University of Florida, Moody worked briefly for Holland & Knight before being hired as a federal prosecutor for the U.S. Attorney’s office.

3) Youngest FL Circuit Court Judge, Then Politician:

At 31, Moody was voted in as the state’s youngest-ever circuit court judge, serving Hillsborough County and was elected as Florida’s attorney general in 2018, reports said.

Moody’s political profile was elevated during the COVID-19 pandemic as she called on the federal government to “hold China responsible” for the virus’ global outbreak.

She was among the state attorneys general to sign on to the lawsuit backed by Trump that was aimed at overturning Joe Biden's election victory in 2020, CBS News reported. In the past year, Moody has filed lawsuits and joined lawsuits to take on the "weaponization of law enforcement" that the GOP said targeted Trump, taking on Special Counsel Jack Smith and the New York Attorney General's Office with their cases against Trump.

During Thursday’s news conference, DeSantis praised Moody for supporting his political battles and said she’s ready to help Trump “secure and shut the border,” rein in inflation, and overhaul what he described as a federal bureaucracy “run amok.”

“I’m ready to show up and fight for this nation and fight for President Trump to deliver the America First agenda on Day 1,” Moody said.

DeSantis added in his post to X, “I look forward to seeing Senator Moody fight the good fight against the entrenched interests in Washington, and I know she will be a critical part of bringing President Trump's America First agenda to fruition.”

4) Democrats Are Criticizing Her:

“Ashley Moody has been Ron’s personal lapdog from day one,” Nikki Fried, Florida Democratic Party chair, said in a statement provided by the party. “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.”

Fried further criticized Moody's work as attorney general, stating that she "ignored the growing property insurance crisis and let wealthy corporations rip off Floridians."

The Democratic leader said, "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."

Fried added, “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."

This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.