(Photo via Ashley Moody’s Facebook)
ORLANDO | Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Attorney General Ashley Moody to replace Florida Sen. Marco Rubio Jan. 16, who has been nominated to serve in President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration as Secretary of State.
During the press conference, which was held in Orlando, DeSantis credited Moody with supporting political ideologies in line with his, such as a conservative stance on immigration and a record of allyship to Trump.
“She’s also rejected DEI, ESG, gender ideology, and supported our efforts to ensure Florida’s education is free from impositions of the radical left,” DeSantis said during the conference.
According to DeSantis, Moody is a fifth generation native of Plant City, a small city 25 miles from Tampa. She served as a circuit judge for Hillsborough County 10 years before campaigning for Attorney General. During her time as AG, she defended the state’s “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” law and was among prominent Republicans to question the presidential election results of 2020.
When the Biden administration first introduced the Title IX expansion to further protect LGBTQ+ students, Moody also filed a lawsuit in opposition.
“Biden’s new Title IX rules shred protections for women — that so many fought for over decades,” she said in a press release at the time. “The idea that young girls can now legally be forced to undress in the same room with males in what is supposed to be a safe space like a locker room, that a young woman could be randomly assigned a roommate that is a biological male with little to no say over the matter, or that biological men would be eligible for women’s scholarships is ludicrous. To ensure safety and fairness, Florida will aggressively fight Biden who refuses to think through the real-world consequences before overhauling regulations.”
The Title IX expansion was recently struck down by U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves after 26 states, including Florida, challenged it.
During the press conference, Moody shared appreciation for DeSantis and his administration. “I am proud to say I have not just fought alongside you for six years, but I’m proud to call you a friend,” she said.
Once Moody takes the seat, she will likely hold the spot until the 2026 special election. In the summary of her speech, Moody spoke to the president-elect and future colleagues: “I have one message, to President Trump and my new colleagues on the United States Senate, America first, let’s get it done” Moody said.
