Sen. Marco Rubio, R-F.L., will resign his senate seat when he becomes President-elect Donald Trump’s secretary of state — and his replacement was formerly announced on Thursday.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis selected state Attorney General Ashley Moody Thursday to fill Rubio’s Senate seat until a special election can be held.
“Talk is cheap. We need people that have demonstrated fidelity to these principles with their actions,” DeSantis said at an Orlando news conference.
“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,” DeSantis said, “whether that’s illegal immigration, [the] opioid and fentanyl crisis, human trafficking.”
“She’s also rejected DEI, ESG, gender ideology, and supported our efforts to ensure Florida’s education is free from impositions of the radical left,” DeSantis said.
“When Covid was raging, few were willing to stand up across this country. We, in Florida, established our state as a beachhead of liberty as the Free State of Florida, and she was with us every step of the way.”
“Governor: I want you to know I will not let you down,” Moody said. “I will not let the citizens of Florida down and I will not let my country down.”
“You’re probably right. I probably won’t like it,” Moody said about serving in the Senate. “But, I’m ready to show and fight up for this nation and fight for President Trump to deliver the America First agenda on day one.”
Moody pledged to shrink federal agencies and cut United Nations funding when she takes office. The fifth-generation Floridian will serve until a 2026 special election to complete Rubio’s term.
Already, potential Republican rivals have started to lineup with an eye on Rubio’s position.
Rep. Cory Mills, R-F.L., said “you can probably guarantee” he will run for the seat in the 2026 special election regardless of DeSantis’s choice.
Meanwhile, DeSantis praised Moody for leading investigations into a Trump assassination attempt and challenging special counsel Jack Smith’s prosecutions.
Moody signed a pledge with other state attorneys general supporting Trump’s agenda and regularly appears on Fox News.
She was the first cabinet-level official to endorse DeSantis over Trump in the 2024 primary. Lara Trump withdrew from consideration for the seat in December after early speculation.
DeSantis said he delayed the announcement to prevent media from making his choice a “pinata” for months before Rubio’s resignation. The Florida governor will now select a new state attorney general, with chief of staff James Uthmeier considered the likely choice.
DeSantis met with Trump several times recently, including golfing and a governor’s dinner at Mar-a-Lago, regarding Rubio’s open seat.
The special election winner will face another race in 2028 for a full six-year term.