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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis reveals who will replace Marco Rubio in Senate, ‘We need people that have…’
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has revealed who will be taking Marco Rubio’s place as the state’s junior senator.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has announced that state Attorney General Ashley Moody will be taking Marco Rubio’s place as the state’s junior senator. Rubio is set to resign to serve as Donald Trump’s secretary of state. DeSantis announced his pick on Thursday, January 16, at a news conference in Orlando.
DeSantis said he wanted to choose a senator who will support the president-elect’s immigration agenda and “cut spending.” “Talk is cheap. We need people that have demonstrated fidelity to these principles with their actions,” DeSantis said of Moody, who is a fifth-generation resident of the Sunshine State and has been Florida’s top law enforcement officer since 2019.
“I’m happy to say we’ve had an attorney general who has been somebody that has acted time and time again to support the values that we all share,” he added, “whether that’s illegal immigration, [the] opioid and fentanyl crisis, human trafficking. She has stood strong time and time again, most recently in this past year, filing lawsuits and joining lawsuits to take on the weaponization of law enforcement that targeted then-candidate Donald Trump.”
DeSantis pointed out that Moody led the investigation into the second assassination attempt on Trump and also fought former special counsel Jack Smith over his prosecution of the president-elect. Moody also challenged Joe Biden’s lax border policies.
‘Ashley Moody's exemplary track record shows her commitment to these principles’
DeSantis also shared his decision on an X post, saying, “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. Attorney General Ashley Moody's exemplary track record shows her commitment to these principles. A fifth-generation Floridian, she has served the people of Florida honorably as a prosecutor, judge, and Attorney General.”
“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,” he added.
In November 2026, Moody will need to go through a special election to complete the remainder of Rubio’s term. She can then be up for election to a full six-year term in 2028, should she choose.
