Who Is Ashley Moody? Marco Rubio Replacement Picked by Ron DeSantis

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced he is appointing the state's Republican attorney general, Ashley Moody, to replace Senator Marco Rubio, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of state.

Newsweek reached out to Moody's office for comment via email.

Why It Matters

Rubio is expected to be confirmed as Trump's secretary of state, leaving a seat in the United States Senate for Republican Governor Ron DeSantis to fill. Under the Constitution and state law, the governor has the power to fill vacancies in the Senate, while voters decide who should fill vacancies in the House of Representatives.

Whoever is appointed by DeSantis will serve until a special election in 2026, at which point the people will elect a replacement who will take over for the remaining two years of Rubio's current term.

With the GOP having a thin margin in the Senate with a three-seat advantage, the person who replaces Rubio will play a significant role in helping push through the president-elect's agenda.

What To Know

Moody has served as the 38th attorney general of Florida since January 2019. She was previously an assistant attorney and a circuit court judge in Hillsborough County.

Throughout her time as attorney general, Moody has supported lawsuits against the Affordable Care Act and advocated against voting rights for former felons. Moody also opposed the legalization of recreational marijuana.

Moody, a former Democrat who is now a Republican, was born in Plant City, Florida. She went to the University of Florida.

Moody's family once sued Trump over a condominium dispute, according to Politico. She told the outlet that a confidential settlement agreement prevents her from discussing the lawsuit involving 54 plaintiffs, including her father, U.S. District Judge James Moody.

The suit claimed that Trump and the Trump Organization had made a "series of fraudulent and negligent misrepresentations." The case was settled in 2011.

Moody has faced criticism for bringing her political stances into her position as attorney general. A senior adviser for the Florida Trump campaign previously called Moody "one of the best surrogates we have."

"Ashley Moody has been Ron's personal lapdog from day one," Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried told Newsweek in a statement. "Despite her role as an independent constitutional officer, she has insisted on calling him 'boss' and defended his extreme agenda at every turn. Her reward is a seat in the United States Senate, paid for by her loyalty to Ron and her failure to serve Floridians."

After allegedly being prodded by DeSantis, Moody took on billionaire Michael Bloomberg after it was announced that the former New York City mayor raised $16 million to pay off court debts for those with felony convictions.

In 2020, Moody was a strong supporter of then-President Donald Trump, joining the Texas v. Pennsylvania lawsuit to overturn the presidential election results. The lawsuit was filed at the Supreme Court level, contesting President Joe Biden's defeat of then-incumbent Trump. Emails from Moody's office showed that lawyers had ridiculed the lawsuit as "bats*** insane" and "weird."

More recently, Moody and her office have taken a legal stance against the Biden administration. She sued to force the release of information on people illegally crossing the southern border. She also argued that the catch-and-release policy violated federal law.

What People Are Saying

Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried told Newsweek: "As Attorney General, Ashley ignored the growing property insurance crisis and let wealthy corporations rip off Floridians. Instead, she spent her time chasing political attention and currying favor with the far right. She worked for over a year to silence the voices of Floridians who wanted Amendment 4 on the ballot, weaponizing state law and the Florida Constitution to score the political points that got her this appointment.

"As a Senator, Ashley will no doubt take her marching orders exclusively from Donald Trump with no regard for what's best for the people of Florida — she may even just keep the seat warm until Ron runs in 2026. Ashley Moody failed Florida as Attorney General, and she'll fail Florida in the Senate."

What's Next

A vote will be held to appoint Rubio as secretary of State, after which his position will need to be filled by Moody.

Update 1/16/25, 12:01 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.