Florida voters head to the polls next Tuesday for primaries in the special U.S. Senate election to fill the seat vacated by former Senator Marco Rubio.

Rubio, who became the state senator in 2011, had also served as Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives. He then threw his hat in the ring, announcing his 2016 presidential campaign and positioning himself as a conservative voice representing a new generation of leadership. Rubio lost the nomination to Donald Trump, who later became president; however, the Florida senator maintained a continued presence within the Republican Party. Following his second win, then-President-elect Trump selected Rubio to serve as Secretary of State in 2024, and he was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate on January 20, 2025.

Following Marco Rubio's departure from Capitol Hill, Governor Ron DeSantis appointed Republican Ashley Moody in January 2025 to fill the vacant Senate seat. She now seeks election to a full term as the incumbent.

Who is Ashley Moody?

Moody, a fifth-generation Floridian born in Plant City in 1975, earned bachelor's and master's degrees in accounting along with a law degree from the University of Florida.

She later obtained her Master of Laws from Stetson University College of Law.

Moody's career includes service as an assistant U.S. attorney, election as the youngest circuit judge in Florida at age 31, and two terms as state attorney general from 2019 to 2025. Her Republican challengers include technology consultant Chris Gleason, physician Neelam Perry, and minister Ernie Rivera; however, Moody remains the favorite as her name leads in recognition, fundraising, and polling.

Who is Angie Nixon?

On the Democratic side, state Representative Angie Nixon from Jacksonville faces retired Army Lt. Col. Alex Vindman in the primary. Nixon, born in 1984, graduated from the University of Florida and has represented her district since 2020. She previously worked as a union organizer and runs a local bookstore and community hub.

Nixon has focused her legislative efforts on expanding access to childcare, opposing corporate price increases, and resisting congressional redistricting maps. She participated in a sit-in at the governor's office and a floor protest that led to her reprimand by the House. Vindman, known for his role in the first Trump impeachment proceedings, brings a different profile to the contest.

Who is Alex Vindman?

Alex Vindman
Credit: Alex Vindman

Alex Vindman served in the United States Army for 21 years as a combat veteran and is widely regarded as a national security expert who has worked for presidents of both parties.

Vindman and his family left the Soviet Union as refugees when he was 3 years old, seeking opportunities in America.

Wounded in Iraq and the recipient of a Purple Heart, Vindman's military career placed the Lieutenant Colonel in high-pressure situations with hundreds of lives at stake. His time as a Director on the National Security Council staff has given Vindman a renewed interest in serving the public, leading him to run for the Democratic nomination for the Florida Senate.

Vindman's platform focuses on investing in public schooling, affordable healthcare, keeping the cost of living down, improving home insurance issues in Florida, and tackling fraud, waste, and abuse in Washington.

Florida has remained a Republican state; however, shakeups do occur during election season. Meaning that whoever earns their party's nomination will need to prove to the general election voter why they are the best representative for the state in Washington.