Ashley Moody picked to replace Marco Rubio in Senate, DeSantis announces

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Thursday that he is replacing Marco Rubio in the Senate with the state's attorney general, Ashley Moody.

"This is a time for action and a time for Washington D.C. to deliver results to the American people," DeSantis said at a news conference near Orlando. "There are no more excuses for Republicans."

Rubio, who has served in the Senate since 2010, has been tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to be secretary of state. Rubio was on Capitol Hill on Wednesday for his confirmation hearing, during which he was pressed on Trump's foreign policy goals.

DeSantis' pick will serve the remaining two years of Rubio's term.

Moody, 49, was a federal prosecutor and circuit court judge before she was elected in 2018 to serve as Florida's attorney general.

She has allied closely with DeSantis on various issues, including COVID-19 mandates. In 2021, Moody sued the federal government over vaccine requirements for cruise passengers.

After the 2020 election, Moody joined the chorus of Republicans who alleged fraud in that year's presidential contest, partaking in Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's lawsuit -- which the Supreme Court dismissed -- challenging the results in key battleground states.

DeSantis praised her as someone who has "stood strong time and time again" on Republican priorities on the economy, immigration and more. He noted her actions against the Biden administration on border policy, specifically, as attorney general.

"She understands the gravity of the moment," he said. "We may not have an opportunity like this in the near future. This is a once-in-a-decade, maybe even once-in-a-generation opportunity, and this current Congress is ultimately going to determine whether we do usher in that revival of the American experiment or is just going to be status quo, passing the buck and nothing ever changes."

Moody spoke about her litigation against the Biden White House and more when she took the stage following DeSantis.

"You better believe that as a United States Senator, I will work for you, those that stand on that thin line between chaos and order, between safety and crime," Moody said. "I have got your back."

DeSantis told reporters that he would appoint his chief of staff, James Uthmeier, to fill Moody's attorney general post.