DeSantis announces choice for Senate appointment after Rubio’s expected resignation

Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., revealed on Thursday who he plans to appoint to the Senate once Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., resigns, as he is expected to be confirmed to be President-elect Donald Trump’s Secretary of State after his inauguration. 

The governor selected Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody to be the next senator. 

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Florida AG Ashley Moody and Gov. Ron DeSantis at public event.  (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Moody has been a key ally of DeSantis in the state and worked in tandem with him to facilitate his agenda as governor. 

During his Thursday announcement, DeSantis said “So this is something that I thought about long and hard. We did a lot of research. We got a number of great candidates throughout the state of Florida, and many of them, I think, could have done a good job. But the final criteria I used was because you can say all those things and say you stand for it—I wanted somebody with a demonstrated record of delivering results on those important issues. Talk is cheap.”

“We need people that have demonstrated fidelity to these principles with their actions. So that is why today I’m proud to announce that I am selecting our Attorney General, Ashley Moody, to serve as our next U.S. Senator,” he told attendees. 

Moody accepted the challenge and thanked the governor for choosing her. “Thank you so much. I will bring the same persistence and passion and tenacity as a United States Senator that I have brought as Florida’s Attorney General,” she said.

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Moody was chosen to be the next Florida senator. (Florida Governor’s Office)

“If you have worked with me and fought with me over the last six years, you know, I don’t think of this as a job. I think of it as a calling,” she explained. 

When asked about potentially taking on the role on “Fox and Friends First” in November, Moody previously said, “I have my hands full here as attorney general, and I’m incredibly focused on this job, working on behalf of Floridians, making sure I’m protecting the autonomy of the state and pushing Washington out of our business and holding them accountable. Of course, I love … being in leadership, working with President Trump, working with Governor DeSantis. And I hope to continue working on behalf of Floridians.”

Initially, Trump and Sens. Katie Britt, R-Ala., and Rick Scott, R-Fla., endorsed Trump’s daughter-in-law and former RNC Co-Chair Lara Trump to succeed Rubio. However, she later withdrew her name from consideration. 

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Lara Trump was RNC co-chair during the 2024 election.  (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

“After an incredible amount of thought, contemplation, and encouragement from so many, I have decided to remove my name from consideration for the United States Senate,” she wrote on X. 

Following Thursday’s announcement, Scott congratulated Moody on X. “I welcome @AGAshleyMoody to the United States Senate! Ashley has done an incredible job fighting for Floridians and keeping our communities safe as Attorney General. I have no doubt she will do an incredible job as senator!” he said. 

Rubio will likely be confirmed as Secretary of State. (REUTERS/Mike Segar)

DeSantis added on Thursday that he expects to appoint Moody to the Senate the afternoon of January 20, after Trump is sworn in to office. 

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“We anticipate Senator Rubio to get confirmed very quickly after the inauguration of the 47th president, President Trump,” he said. 

He further thanked Rubio for his service as a senator. “I want to thank Senator Rubio for his service in the United States Senate. I think he will serve the country ably as Secretary of State and, we need it because, the last four years has been a total disaster, under the Biden-Harris administration,” the governor said.