Senator Ashley Moody, appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to fill the vacancy left when Marco Rubio was appointed Secretary of State, looks to have the Republican nomination locked up. Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, the former National Security Council officer who helped launch Donald Trump’s first impeachment, looks to be well out in front for the Democratic field, although he faces a grassroots challenge from Democratic firebrand Angie Nixon, who represents Jacksonville in the Florida House.
Moody is a fifth-generation Floridian, born and raised in Plant City. She earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting, as well as her law degree, from the University of Florida. She also holds a Master of Laws in International Law from Stetson. Moody is a former assistant U.S. attorney and circuit court judge in Hillsborough County. She was elected Florida's Attorney General in 2018.
Moody has been a reliable MAGA candidate since entering public service. As Florida’s attorney general, she supported lawsuits to invalidate the Affordable Care Act and opposed the legalization of recreational cannabis. Moody also joined the lawsuit Texas v. Pennsylvania, which sought to overturn the results of the 2020 election in favor of Donald Trump. While in the Senate, she has remained lockstep with the administration. Moody was on the board of directors for the Rule of Law Defense Fund, an organization that encouraged the gathering at the United States Capitol to call for a halt to the counting of the Electoral College ballots, which led to the attempted insurrection.
Vindman was serving on the National Security Council in 2019 when Trump pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to investigate Joe Biden. Vindman and his brother Eugene (an attorney on the National Security Council) reported concerns that led to investigations ahead of Trump's 2020 presidential election loss to Joe Biden. He was born in Ukraine and immigrated to Brooklyn at the age of 3. He served 21 years in the Army and was wounded by an IED while serving in Iraq.
Vindman’s high profile from the impeachment helped him raised $1.7 million in the first 24 hours after launching his campaign, largely from small donors, many of whom were from outside of Florida. In some ways, he’s become a nationalized candidate, like Beto O’Rourke.
Angie Nixon is a union organizer who emerged as a voice for working-class Floridians in the Florida House. Nixon is a native of Jacksonville and a graduate of Stanton College Preparatory School and the University of Florida. In many ways, Nixon is the stronger candidate in terms of articulating her vision and energizing her base. She is at an enormous fundraising disadvantage, however, and it remains to be seen whether she can close the considerable gap in name recognition. There is no publicly available polling for the race.
If Vindman wins, he would still likely face a fundraising deficit, as Moody's campaign already has over $5 million on hand with no meaningful primary opposition. The most recent polling available for a general election contest shows Moody with a 45% to 38% lead over Vindman, and a 46% to 38% lead over Nixon.
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lib224
So who would you rather have an insurrectionist or someone who follows the rule of law?
Sunday, March 8 Report this
RRICH69176
Many FL voters are like lemmings--blindly follow the party. Despite its efforts to diminish our democratic rights, voters elect. Blind ignorance..as long as their wallets are not touched.
Sunday, March 8 Report this
Smartins
Let's try something new in Florida and elect qualified people who aren't part of the corrupt establishment.
Sunday, March 8 Report this
rjckeuka4
Moody is just part of the "yes sir" group...doesn't think, doesn't research, doesn't represent. She learned it from the other Senator, Senator Scott. Get rid of her!
Sunday, March 8 Report this