Ashley Moody Wins Florida Senate Special Election, AP Projects

Moody holds Florida Senate seat

November 3, 2026 · 9:10 p.m. Eastern

Republican Sen. Ashley Moody has won Florida’s U.S. Senate special election, defeating Democratic state Rep. Angie Nixon, according to a race call by the Associated Press. Axios also reported Moody’s victory.

The result keeps the seat in Republican hands. Moody was appointed to it in 2025 after Marco Rubio left the Senate to become secretary of state. This was her first election for the seat.

A news organization’s call is a projection, not an official certification. Election officials will continue counting and reviewing ballots before Florida’s results are finalized.

Why this was a special election

Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Moody, then Florida’s attorney general, to succeed Rubio in January 2025. Voters chose who would complete the rest of Rubio’s term, rather than electing someone to a new six-year term. That term runs through January 2029, according to a Florida elections guide.

Because Moody already holds the seat, her projected win is a Republican hold, not a Republican pickup. The result alone does not determine which party will control the next Senate.

The candidates

Moody, a former state attorney general, ran with President Donald Trump’s endorsement. Nixon, a Florida state representative, received former President Barack Obama’s endorsement, WPBF reported.

Nixon secured the Democratic nomination in August after defeating Alexander Vindman in the primary. Moody won the Republican primary, setting up the November contest, CBS News reported.

Where the race was held

The Senate race was statewide. The star marks the approximate Tallahassee area, Florida’s capital, for geographic context; it does not identify a polling place.

Key dates

1. January 2025 — DeSantis appointed Moody to replace Rubio in the Senate.
2. August 18, 2026 — Florida held primaries in which Nixon and Moody won their parties’ Senate nominations.
3. November 3, 2026 — Floridians voted in the special election, and AP called the race for Moody.

Sources and visual credits

Associated Press: race call · Axios: result · CBS News: primary results · WPBF: election coverage · St. Lucie County elections: term information.

Visual: conceptual paper-cut ballot and capitol illustration, not a photograph of an election event. Map data: OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.