Florida Governor Ron DeSantis tapped state Attorney General Ashley Moody to replace Secretary of State nominee Marco Rubio in the US Senate.
“Today I am proud to announce that I am selecting our Attorney General Ashley Moody to serve as our next U.S. senator,” DeSantis said in a Thursday morning press conference announcing the decision.
Governor Ron DeSantis Makes an Announcement in Orlando https://t.co/7dNbFdoiau
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) January 16, 2025
“I will bring the same persistence, passion and tenacity that I have brought as attorney general as a United States senator,” Moody said in her remarks accepting the appointment.
“Governor: I want you to know I will not let you down,” Moody added. “I will not let the citizens of Florida down and I will not let my country down.”
Moody has a storied career rooted in her upbringing as a fifth-generation Floridian in Plant City. She graduated with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting and a law degree from the University of Florida, followed by a Master of Laws in International Law from Stetson University College of Law. Her legal journey began at the prestigious law firm Holland & Knight, where she specialized in commercial litigation, while also dedicating her spare time to volunteer work assisting domestic violence victims.
Moody’s trajectory in public service saw her transition to the United States Attorney’s Office, where she prosecuted drug, firearm, and fraud cases. During her tenure she was recognized by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for her lead of “Operation Round-Up” which targeted violent and repeat offenders.
In 2006, Moody was elected as the youngest judge in Florida at 31 years old, serving in Hillsborough County’s Thirteenth Judicial Circuit.
In 2018, she was elected as Florida’s 38th Attorney General, succeeding US Attorney General nominee Pam Bondi.
The Hill noted Moody “stands to be a staunch ally of the president-elect in the Senate.”
In 2020, she supported the Texas v. Pennsylvania lawsuit contesting President Trump’s loss in the presidential election that year. In December, she charged Ryan Wesley Routh, the man accused of attempting to assassinate Trump at one of his Florida golf courses, with attempted felony murder.
German-owned Politico observed DeSantis’ pick “also gives him another opportunity to make a high profile pick to shape his legacy in Florida.”
“He already gets to pick the state’s chief financial officer — with Jimmy Patronis, the current CFO, set to resign because he is running in a special election for an open House seat. And he’ll now get to pick Moody’s replacement as well — and he indicated Thursday that James Uthmeier, his chief of staff, will take that spot,” the outlet added.
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Christina Botteri is the Executive Editor at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow her on Twitter / X @christinakb.
