Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., announced on Thursday who he plans to appoint to the Senate once Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., steps down. Rubio is expected to be confirmed as President-elect Trump’s Secretary of State after the inauguration.
DeSantis selected Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody to fill the Senate seat. Moody has been a trusted ally, working closely with DeSantis to advance his agenda as governor.
“So this is something that I thought about long and hard,” DeSantis said during the announcement. “We did a lot of research. We got a number of great candidates throughout the state of Florida, and many of them, I think, could have done a good job. But the final criteria I used was because you can say all those things and say you stand for it — I wanted somebody with a demonstrated record of delivering results on those important issues. Talk is cheap.”
“We need people that have demonstrated fidelity to these principles with their actions,” he added. “So that is why today I’m proud to announce that I am selecting our Attorney General, Ashley Moody, to serve as our next U.S. senator.”
Moody accepted the appointment with gratitude. “Thank you so much. I will bring the same persistence and passion and tenacity as a United States senator that I have brought as Florida’s Attorney General,” she said.
She described her commitment further. “If you have worked with me and fought with me over the last six years, you know, I don’t think of this as a job. I think of it as a calling,” she explained.
In November, Moody addressed the possibility of taking on the role during an appearance on “FOX and Friends First.” “I have my hands full here as attorney general, and I’m incredibly focused on this job,” she said. “Of course, I love… being in leadership, working with President Trump, working with Gov. DeSantis. And I hope to continue working on behalf of Floridians.”
Initially, Trump and Sens. Katie Britt, R-Ala., and Rick Scott, R-Fla., backed Lara Trump for the role. However, she withdrew her name from consideration, writing on X, “After an incredible amount of thought, contemplation, and encouragement from so many, I have decided to remove my name from consideration for the United States Senate.”
After the announcement, Scott congratulated Moody on X. “I welcome @AGAshleyMoody to the United States Senate! Ashley has done an incredible job fighting for Floridians and keeping our communities safe as Attorney General. I have no doubt she will do an incredible job as senator!” he said.
DeSantis plans to officially appoint Moody on Jan. 20, following Trump’s inauguration. “We anticipate Senator Rubio to get confirmed very quickly after the inauguration of the 47th president, President Trump,” DeSantis noted.
He also expressed gratitude for Rubio’s service. “I want to thank Senator Rubio for his service in the United States Senate. I think he will serve the country ably as Secretary of State, and we need it, because the last four years have been a total disaster under the Biden-Harris administration,” he said.