Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will soon name a successor to Sen. Marco Rubio, who is poised to become secretary of state in the incoming Trump administration. Reports suggest that Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody is the leading candidate for the Senate appointment.
Rubio’s confirmation appears likely, with Senate Republican leaders pushing for swift approval of Trump’s Cabinet nominees. Once confirmed, DeSantis will be responsible for selecting Rubio’s replacement, who will serve until a special election in November 2026. The appointed senator must then run again in 2028 for a full six-year term.
Moody, first elected as Florida’s attorney general in 2018 and reelected in 2022, has earned a reputation as a staunch conservative aligned with both DeSantis and President-elect Trump. Her high-profile prosecutions and leadership on legal challenges, including battles against federal overreach, have bolstered her standing within Florida’s Republican Party.
DeSantis has not publicly confirmed his choice but acknowledged Tuesday that his team has been researching potential candidates. “I think that we’ve got a lot of great people in Florida who’ve made a big difference,” DeSantis told reporters.
Moody’s appointment would likely remove her from consideration for Florida’s 2026 gubernatorial race, a contest expected to draw national attention in the increasingly Republican state.
Rubio’s first confirmation hearing is scheduled for next Wednesday before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, signaling the final steps toward his Cabinet position. DeSantis’s appointment decision will further solidify Florida’s Republican stronghold while shaping the political landscape ahead of pivotal elections.
