Florida Democratic state Rep. Angie Nixon announces challenge to GOP U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Democratic state Rep. Angie Nixon announced her candidacy Thursday for the Florida U.S. Senate seat held by Republican Ashley Moody.

Moody was serving as Florida's attorney general when Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed her to fill out the term of Marco Rubio when he became secretary of state in President Donald Trump's second administration.

Nixon, who represents a district in Jacksonville, said her decision to enter the 2026 election is based on “an affordability crisis that Florida's leadership has ignored for far too long.”

During a tour of the state over the past few months, Nixon said she heard the same message from Republicans, independents and Democrats: “We can't afford to go on like this.”

Nixon said politicians, including Moody aren't listening to the people.

“Meanwhile, the cost of everything is exploding: groceries, healthcare, and childcare. Property insurance has doubled in the last four years, and housing costs are driving Floridians out of the towns they grew up in,” Nixon said in a statement announcing her campaign.

The GOP holds a 53 to 47 Senate lead over the Democratic caucus, which includes two independents. That means the party would have to flip four seats in November and protect the ones they occupy to take the majority — a tall task, although Democrats are increasingly optimistic about their chances in the 2026 midterms.

While Florida leans heavily Republican, Nixon cited the recent Miami mayoral race in which Democrat Eileen Higgins defeated Trump-backed candidate Emilio Gonzalez, a former city manager. It was the first time a Democrat won a Miami mayoral race in nearly 30 years. The race was officially nonpartisan, but Higgins campaigned as a proud Democrat.

“People are fed up. Everyone, not just Democrats,” Nixon said. “The Miami mayoral race is only one of the signs that a big shift is coming. People want leaders who will actually fight for them rather than fight each other on TV. It’s time. Change can’t wait any longer.”

Nixon was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2020. She has been outspoken against the governor's redistricting plan, and she sued the state after being denied access to the South Florida detention center known as “Alligator Alcatraz.” She also has introduced legislation that would require ICE and other law enforcement agents to unmask and identify themselves on the job.

She graduated from the University of Florida in 2007, and has served as executive director for Florida for All, a statewide coalition that has registered new voters across the state.