Republican Sen. Ashley Moody has defeated Democratic state Rep. Angie Nixon to win Florida’s U.S. Senate race, according to the Associated Press. Decision Desk HQ projected Moody as the winner at 8:00 p.m. EST on November 3, giving the Republican another term in the Senate after she was appointed to the seat in 2025.

Moody entered the race after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis selected her to replace Marco Rubio, who resigned from the Senate to become President Donald Trump’s secretary of state. The appointment gave Moody the responsibility of representing Florida in the upper chamber, but the 2026 election provided voters with the opportunity to decide who would serve the remainder of Rubio’s term.

Before joining the Senate, Moody served as Florida’s attorney general from 2019 to 2025. A former prosecutor and circuit court judge, she built her statewide political profile around law enforcement, public safety and legal challenges to federal policies. She previously won election to the attorney general’s office in 2018 and secured reelection in 2022.

During her Senate campaign, Moody emphasized her record in law enforcement, support for conservative policies and work alongside the Trump administration. Her campaign also highlighted economic issues, border security and public safety as central concerns for Florida voters. Her appointment by DeSantis and support from Republican leaders gave her an established political network heading into the election.

Nixon, a Democratic member of the Florida House of Representatives from Jacksonville, sought to use the race to advance a more progressive agenda in the Senate. She defeated former national security official Alex Vindman in the Democratic primary before taking on Moody in the general election.

Nixon campaigned on proposals including Medicare for All, a wealth tax on billionaires and expanded federal involvement in healthcare and economic policy. She also criticized Republican leadership and argued that the federal government should do more to address the rising cost of living. Her campaign attempted to present the election as an opportunity to change the direction of Florida’s representation in Washington.

The contest also reflected Florida’s changing political landscape. Once considered one of the country’s most competitive swing states, Florida has moved further toward Republicans in recent statewide and federal elections. President Trump carried the state in 2024, while Republicans have strengthened their position among Florida voters in several recent election cycles.

Moody’s victory preserves the Republican-held Senate seat and gives her a statewide electoral mandate after initially entering the chamber through appointment. She will serve the remainder of Rubio’s term, with the seat scheduled to return to the regular election cycle in 2028.