Former Brevard County school board member Jennifer Jenkins launches 2026 Senate in Florida

Fla. School Board Member challenges Sen. Ashley Moody

Jennifer Jenkins, a member of the Brevard County Public School Board launched her campaign for U.S. Senate today as a Democrat, challenging Republican Ashley Moody in 2026. FOX 35's Ryan Elijah sat down with Jennifer Jenkins to discuss her reasons for running for office, her policy positions and how she plans to fundraise in an uphill election against a sitting popular Republican.

ORLANDO, Fla. - A Democratic former school board member who garnered attention for defeating a future cofounder of Moms for Liberty announced her 2026 bid for the U.S. Senate in Florida on Wednesday.

What we know:

Jennifer Jenkins, a Democratic former Brevard County School Board member, announced Wednesday that she is running for the U.S. Senate in Florida’s 2026 election. Jenkins is challenging Republican Sen. Ashley Moody, who was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in January to replace Marco Rubio after Rubio joined President Donald Trump’s Cabinet as Secretary of State.

What we don't know:

The field for the 2026 race is still taking shape, and it remains unclear whether Jenkins will face a primary challenger or how strongly national Democrats will back her campaign in a state that has trended increasingly Republican.

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Her ability to build name recognition and raise money against an entrenched GOP will be central questions in the months ahead.

The backstory:

Jenkins first rose to prominence in 2020 when she unseated Tina Descovich, who later co-founded the conservative parental rights group Moms for Liberty. A speech pathologist by trade, Jenkins became a vocal advocate for public health precautions and inclusive education during the COVID-19 pandemic, drawing the ire of conservative activists who protested outside her home and targeted her with threats, vandalism, and false reports.

Big picture view:

Florida has become a Republican stronghold, with the GOP holding every statewide office and a 1.3 million-voter registration advantage over Democrats. Jenkins’ campaign frames her as a counterweight to what she calls "MAGA extremists," but she faces steep odds in a state where Democrats have struggled to win statewide contests in recent years.

Timeline:

Jenkins launched her campaign more than a year ahead of the 2026 election. Sen. Moody, a two-term Florida attorney general before her Senate appointment, is expected to defend her seat in the special election. The contest will take place against the backdrop of Trump’s continued influence in Florida politics and DeSantis’ role in shaping the state’s leadership.

What they're saying:

Republican Sen. Ashley Moody, who faces a special election to hold on to her seat after Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed her to fill the office vacated by Marco Rubio.

"Ashley Moody doesn’t know what it’s like to struggle paying for food, housing, health care and day care. But I do," Jenkins said in her campaign launch video.

"We’ve let MAGA extremists and out-of-touch billionaires take over our country," she added. "And while we fight for the minimum to get by, our Senator Ashley Moody got handed a U.S. Senate seat, knowing she’ll do exactly what Trump, DeSantis and the billionaires tell her to do."

The Republican Party of Florida responded by calling Jenkins a "radical liberal."

"She’s a radical liberal who praised Kamala Harris at a Biden White House event, gushing over her as a ‘fierce advocate’— she’s nothing more than a talking head for Biden, Kamala, and the radical left, an AOC wannabe desperate for attention," said Republican Party of Florida Chairman Evan Power.

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