Republican Senator Ashley Moody is projected to win re-election to the US Senate after defeating Democratic socialist Angie Nixon in Florida, according to Decision Desk HQ.
Moody’s victory will help preserve the number of Republican women in the Senate, whose representation could fall in the next Congress because of retirements and closely contested races.
Moody took office in 2025 after former Republican Senator Marco Rubio left the seat to become US Secretary of State under President Donald Trump. During the final weeks of the campaign, she appeared alongside Trump and openly supported his agenda.
While some Republican candidates tried to distance themselves from the president amid poor polling figures, Moody remained firmly behind him. Her campaign website described her as a “key supporter” of Trump’s policies. She also highlighted her experience as Florida’s former attorney general, promising to promote law and order.
Nixon, a state legislator from Jacksonville, emerged as one of the most talked-about candidates of the midterm election cycle. Known for her energetic campaign, she travelled across Florida in a pink blazer, held frequent media interviews and used social media to connect with voters.
She surprised political observers by defeating an establishment-backed candidate in the Democratic primary, despite initially being considered an unlikely contender. Her membership of the Democratic Socialists of America and use of the democratic socialist label had raised concerns about her appeal, particularly among Latino voters in Florida.
However, Nixon argued that her policies were not extreme and reflected the concerns of ordinary residents. At a rally in Orlando, she defended her support for affordable healthcare and better wages.
“$25 million to lie to the state that I’m ‘an extremist,’ I’m ‘radical,’ ‘socialist.’ There is nothing radical or extreme or about wanting to ensure people don’t die because they can’t afford healthcare. There’s absolutely nothing extreme or radical about wanting to ensure people get paid a living wage,” she said.
Nixon also challenged Moody’s accusations that she wanted to defund the police and abolish prisons. On X, she accused Moody of being involved in the handling of $10 million from a Medicaid settlement.
The money had reportedly been diverted to a foundation run by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ wife. A grand jury found that Moody knew about and authorised the arrangement but declined to bring criminal charges, citing insufficient evidence to establish responsibility.
Moody’s appointment made her the second woman to represent Florida in the US Senate. Nixon, meanwhile, became the second Black woman to win a Democratic nomination for a Senate seat in the state.
