PLANT CITY, Fla. – Ashley Moody claimed victory in Florida’s Republican U.S. Senate primary Tuesday night, delivering a fiery speech from her hometown of Plant City that drew sharp contrasts between herself and her Democratic opponent ahead of the November general election.
“We are plant city grown and Florida strong,” Moody told the crowd, crediting longtime friends, family and community members for shaping the person she has become. “Whatever your contribution was to getting me here today, I want you to know I honor it, I cherish it, and I will never forget it.”
Touting a record of service
Moody wasted no time highlighting what she described as an aggressive record of accomplishment during her time in Washington. She said her Senate office earned recognition from a bipartisan organization as having the best constituent service of any Senate office in the nation — an achievement she said came within just one year, a feat she called unprecedented.
“We got up there and we got to work,” she said. “We got busy trying to show the country what it means when government truly understands who their bosses are.”
Among the policy wins she cited were no tax on tips, no tax on Social Security, no tax on overtime, child investment accounts for every American baby born and expanded resources for education and parental choice.
“Meaningful opportunity that depends on a child’s needs, not the zip code they happen to be born into,” Moody said.
She also pointed to hurricane relief efforts for Florida residents, saying her office helped deliver billions of dollars in outstanding insurance claims that had gone unresolved for years.
“We’ve delivered billions in outstanding claims that were going back years and storms by rolling up our sleeves, getting to work, and remembering who our bosses were,” she said.
Florida as ‘a firewall for freedom’
Moody leaned heavily into Florida’s identity as a conservative stronghold, calling the state “a firewall for freedom” and invoking its response to what she described as government overreach during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We were the beacon of freedom during a time when the nation went crazy,” she said, referencing cities that she said “disrespected, demoralized, and defunded law enforcement” and governments that “shut people up in their own homes.”
She also highlighted her co-sponsorship of the Save America Act, which she said ensures only American citizens vote in American elections, calling it a priority she has been pushing her colleagues to advance.
A milestone on the campaign trail
Moody noted that her primary victory came on a historically significant date — the 106th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which guaranteed women the right to vote.
“It is strange to me that we celebrate that today when we are facing down people that want to eliminate or roll back the opportunities, whether educational or sports opportunities, that we have fought for and marched for, for women for decades,” she said.
She made a direct pledge to her supporters on the issue.
“When I am your new United States Senator, there is no way we will roll back opportunities for our girls and women on my watch,” Moody said. “It will never happen.”
Targeting Angie Nixon
Moody made no secret of her feelings about her Democratic general election opponent, Angie Nixon, whom she repeatedly described as a self-proclaimed socialist and proud member of the Democratic Socialists of America.
“My opponent will be a self-proclaimed socialist that proudly signed up and joined the Democratic Socialists of America,” Moody said. “That will be my opponent.”
She drew a direct contrast between herself and Nixon, framing the November race as a choice between two fundamentally different visions for Florida and the country.
“On one side, you will have a candidate that stood up for the state in the face of government crackdown, big government, called out Washington, held them to account,” Moody said. “And you’re gonna have one side that wants to defund the police, don’t fund our military, open up the border, non-citizen voting.”
Moody also took aim at Nixon’s bookstore, which she identified as Cafe Resistance, using it as a symbol of what she called an anti-American agenda.
“I am not making this up,” Moody said. “This is not some made-up fiction TV story. This is the election that will take place in this free state of Florida this November.”
She went further, accusing Nixon and her allies of actively working to undermine American institutions — including law enforcement.
“Angie Nixon, who will be my opponent in November, and her comrades want to destroy this country and everything that it is built on,” Moody said. “I am not exaggerating.”
Moody specifically called out what she described as Nixon’s platform positions, including abolishing prisons and releasing criminals into communities — a point she said would resonate with the law enforcement officers present at her victory celebration.
“I’m sure the law enforcement men and women that are here with us tonight love the position they have on abolishing prisons and releasing criminals into our communities,” she said. “We’re not making this stuff up.”
A call to action
With less than 80 days remaining until the general election, Moody urged supporters — Republican, Independent and Democrat alike — to engage their neighbors and make their voices heard.
“This election is so much more than voting for a person for the United States Senate,” she said. “This is about voting for the future of this country.”
She closed with a message of optimism rooted in her faith, her upbringing and her love of Florida.
“I am grounded in an abiding faith. I am grounded by those in this room who helped raise me. I am grounded by my love of this state and my love of the United States of America,” Moody said. “And we together will win big in November.”
Following her primary win, News4JAX reached out to Moody’s office to set up an interview. She was not available Thursday, but her team said they would try to make it work at a later date.