Frontrunner Emerges To Replace Sen. Marco Rubio

According to reports, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody has emerged as the frontrunner to replace Marco Rubio in the U.S. Senate.

President Trump nominated Rubio as secretary of state in his administration and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis must appoint a replacement.

Although signs point to Moody for the role, DeSantis hasn’t finalized a decision.

Report: Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody is the current frontrunner to be picked by DeSantis to replace Marco Rubio in the Senate.

Via: Politico pic.twitter.com/DNAJhtAAxh

— The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1) January 8, 2025

From POLITICO:

But all signs point to him leaning toward Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, with Rubio bound for the State Department under President-elect Donald Trump. And 10 people familiar with the selection process, all granted anonymity to discuss the decision freely, told Playbook that Moody was viewed as the leading contender for the seat.

Moody has been a staunch DeSantis supporter — but also has been vocally supportive of Trump, particularly his positions on legal matters. She recently filed state charges against Ryan Routh, the man charged with attempting to assassinate Trump at his Florida golf course.

The governor wouldn’t give away his thinking about the upcoming vacancy during a gaggle with reporters on Tuesday and sidestepped a question about Moody. But the Republican governor said that a “lot of research” had been done on potential candidates and he wanted someone who would help carry out Trump’s agenda and be strong on battling illegal immigration and reining in federal spending. “We want someone who is really able to deliver,” DeSantis said.

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Still, he appeared to be inviting the public (and Trump) to picture Moody in the role during a local swearing-in ceremony in Tampa on Tuesday, where she appeared alongside Trump loyalist and attorney general pick Pam Bondi.

.@Polymarket – Who will replace Marco Rubio as Florida Senator?

Ashley Moody – 74%
Jeanette Nunez – 8%
James Uthmeier – 4%https://t.co/8TsAAhRPmt https://t.co/fk4dxXBocU pic.twitter.com/Y4cUDhPgJv

— InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) December 22, 2024

Per CBS News:

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will take a little more time to mull a replacement for Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, who has been tapped to serve as President-elect Donald Trump’s secretary of state.

DeSantis on Tuesday said he will appoint a senator to complete the remaining two years of Rubio’s term around the time of Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration.

“I think we’ve got a number of great candidates, but I want to make sure that we know what we’re going to get,” DeSantis said during an appearance in Tampa.

When Trump named Rubio as his pick for secretary of state, DeSantis said he expected to name a replacement by the beginning of January. Rubio needs to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate, and Senate Foreign Relations Committee is expected to hold a hearing on Jan. 15 — setting him up to be confirmed as early as Jan. 20.

DeSantis reiterated Tuesday his appointee must be strong on immigration enforcement and support cutting the federal bureaucracy.

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