U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody made it official Thursday, paying the qualifying fee to run for the federal office she was appointed to last year.
The Plant City Republican faces a handful of hopefuls in the GOP primary, and Democratic challengers Alex Vindman and state Rep. Angie Nixon are vying to face her in the general election.
Moody, 51, touted her support of President Donald Trump’s agenda, including his “America First policies that promote law and order, economic prosperity, and American sovereignty.”
She also praised aspects of the federal “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” approved last year, such as cuts to tax on tips, overtime, and Social Security income.
“There's a lot more work to do,” Moody said in a released statement. “I look forward to traveling the Sunshine State and earning your vote!”
Moody joins three other Republicans in the contest – Neelam Taneja Perry, Chris Gleason, and Ernie Rivera.
She filed one day after Vindman officially joined the race.
Vindman, 50, is a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel who in 2019 testified that while on the National Security Council, he witnessed Trump attempt to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to investigate Joe Biden and his son.
Biden at the time, was poised to challenge Trump in the 2020 presidential election.
Vindman told reporters this week his goal was to make Florida more affordable for those who also live in his adopted state.
“That's a fundamental message to get across, that there is a fighter in your corner, not a fighter for corporate interests, not a fighter for the billionaire class, but a fighter in your corner,” Vindman said.
Since opening a campaign account in January, Vindman raised $8 million, of which $6.2 million was on hand as the second quarter began on April 1.
Moody had $7.13 million available at the same time.
The qualifying period ends at noon on Friday.
Moody is considered the front-runner for both the primary and general election, having twice before won statewide elections, and the Republican dominance among registered voters. Also, no Democrat has won a U.S. Senate contest in the state since Bill Nelson was reelected in 2012.
Polling since the beginning of the year has shown Moody ahead, with her support between 43 percent and 50 percent.
Moody worked in civil litigation for the Holland & Knight law firm before being appointed as a federal prosecutor. In 2006, she was elected as a Hillsborough County circuit court judge.
In 2018, Moody defeated Democratic lawmaker Sean Shaw by 6 percentage points to become attorney general. Moody retained the Cabinet office in 2020, defeating former Orlando-area State Attorney Aramis Ayala by 21.2 percentage points.
After taking office, Moody often joined forces with DeSantis, filing lawsuits challenging President Biden’s policies on issues such as the handling of the coronavirus pandemic and immigration.
She also requested that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigate former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg for helping Florida felons pay outstanding legal costs so they could register to vote in 2020. The investigation ended without charges in 2021.
DeSantis elevated Moody to the federal office in January 2025 after Marco Rubio resigned to become U.S. Secretary of State.
Because Rubio’s term was to run through 2028, the Senate contest is a special election that will run concurrent with the regular election cycle.
The winner will serve for two years before the seat is again put before the voters.