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ORLANDO, Fla. - State Rep. Angie Nixon, D-Jacksonville, officially launched her campaign Thursday to challenge U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody, R-Fla., in the November election.
Nixon framed her bid as a response to Florida’s rising costs and "affordability crisis," while Republicans quickly criticized her candidacy as extreme.
What we know:
Nixon, first elected to the Florida House in 2020, cited soaring prices for groceries, healthcare, child care, property insurance, and housing as the primary reason for her campaign.
She emphasizes that the economic pressures affect everyday Floridians and that Moody, who was appointed to the Senate last year by Gov. Ron DeSantis, has not prioritized these issues.
Rep. Angie Nixon, D-Jacksonville, debates on amendments to a bill pertaining to civil liability for the wrongful death of an unborn child, April 9, 2025. [Credit: Florida House of Representatives]
Nixon’s campaign is positioned as a fight for affordability and economic fairness.
What we don't know:
It remains unclear how Nixon plans to fund her statewide campaign or how she will perform against an incumbent Republican in Florida, a state with a competitive and politically polarized electorate.
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Details about her policy proposals beyond general affordability issues have not been fully outlined. Additionally, the timing and scope of debates or direct confrontations with Moody are not yet scheduled.
The backstory:
Moody, who served as Florida’s attorney general before her appointment to the U.S. Senate, assumed office last year without being elected. Nixon’s campaign narrative emphasizes this distinction, portraying Moody as disconnected from the struggles of everyday Floridians.
U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody, of Florida, called for the help of Florida residents to tell the government to do their jobs.
The race adds to a broader trend of Democrats targeting Republican-held Senate seats in Florida ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
What they're saying:
Nixon signals that affordability will be a big issue driving the U.S. Senate race.
"The cost of everything is exploding: groceries, health care, and child care. Property insurance has doubled in the last four years, and housing costs are driving Floridians out of the towns they grew up in. Enough is enough. This isn’t a partisan issue," she said. "We have to fix this affordability crisis, and we need and deserve a senator who will fight to improve the lives of every Floridian, not just greedy billionaires."
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"As Ashley Moody runs around chasing headlines and playing into the culture wars that have nothing to do with daily reality, I’ve been working for the real people of Florida," Nixon said in a statement. "Floridians didn’t elect Moody to the Senate, she was handed the seat. I know what it is to struggle. I know what it is to fight for everything you have. Moody doesn’t."
The other side:
"Angie Nixon’s radical agenda and toxic divisiveness are a gift to Republicans," Florida GOP Chairman Evan Power said. "Floridians reject this extremism. Sen. Ashley Moody will continue championing safe borders, strong schools, low taxes and family values."
The Source: This story was written based on reporting by the News Service of Florida.