TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida’s special U.S. Senate race is attracting millions of dollars, but before Democrats can challenge Republican Sen. Ashley Moody, they must settle a primary between two candidates offering very different arguments.
Retired Army Lt. Col. Alex Vindman enters the Democratic primary with the national profile and fundraising advantage. He raised roughly $14.5 million through June, according to the latest campaign-finance totals, outpacing Moody.
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Vindman is highlighting his military service and presenting himself as a candidate capable of reaching voters beyond the Democratic base. He has largely focused his campaign on the November election and the need to place a congressional check on President Donald Trump.
“Getting a Democratic House and a Democratic Senate is absolutely essential in this environment because I think the Republicans in office have absolutely abrogated, abandoned their responsibilities to be any kind of check on power,” Vindman said.
First, however, Vindman must defeat state Rep. Angie Nixon, a Jacksonville Democrat whom he has so far declined to debate.
Nixon is countering Vindman’s national profile with her Florida roots, a more progressive platform and a working-class message centered on wages and affordability.
Her campaign’s social-media posts have highlighted everyday challenges on the trail, including car trouble and a flat tire. Nixon has portrayed those moments as evidence that she deals with many of the same problems confronting the voters she hopes to represent.
At the Florida Capitol, Nixon has also developed a reputation as an outspoken protester. She used a bullhorn during the fight over Florida’s new congressional maps and was later charged following a sit-in demonstration at the governor’s office.
“I shouldn’t have been the one that got locked up,” Nixon said afterward. “They should have been the ones that got locked up.”
While Democrats decide between Vindman and Nixon, Moody faces three lower-profile candidates in the Republican primary. None is expected to seriously threaten the appointed senator, allowing Moody to concentrate much of her attention on November.
Moody is framing the general election as a choice between Republicans and Democrats whom she argues are moving the country toward socialism and greater government control.
“There’s a very big difference right now — Republicans that are pushing for this great country, and another side of the aisle that is pushing for a completely different kind of America,” Moody said.
The latest Decision Desk HQ polling average gives Moody a seven-point advantage over Vindman, 47% to 40%. That places the race within competitive territory, though it has not yet emerged as a top-tier national toss-up.
Florida’s primary is Aug. 18.
The ultimate winner in November will complete the final two years of former Sen. Marco Rubio’s term. The new senator will then have to run again in 2028 to secure a full six-year term.
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