The Florida Home Builders Association announced its endorsement of U.S. Senator Ashley Moody on Monday as she runs in the November general election. Moody, a Plant City Republican, was appointed to the Senate by Governor Ron DeSantis to fill the seat left vacant when Marco Rubio was confirmed as Secretary of State. This year's election will determine who serves the final two years of the six-year Senate term.
In response to the endorsement, Moody expressed her appreciation for the organization's support. "I am honored to earn the endorsement of the Florida Home Builders Association – an organization that represents the men and women who quite literally build the American Dream for Florida families," she said. Moody highlighted her work on housing issues, stating she has championed housing reform and fought to lower costs for Florida families. The construction industry has backed Moody before, endorsing her during her 2018 and 2022 campaigns for Florida Attorney General, races in which she received more votes than any candidate on the Florida ballot.
Moody has already raised substantial campaign funds for her Senate bid. Through March of this year, she had accumulated 8.2 million dollars. In the Republican primary, she faces three other candidates, though her closest competitor had raised less than 3,400 dollars by the end of March. The GOP primary will take place in August to determine the party's nominee.
On the Democratic side, Alex Vindman is positioned as the likely nominee after raising approximately 8.2 million dollars through the first quarter. However, Vindman must first compete in the Democratic primary against Angie Nixon, who had reported 294,000 dollars in fundraising through the same period. The August primary elections will decide which candidates from each party advance to the November general election, where voters will select Florida's representative for the remainder of the Senate term. Moody is seeking her first full six-year Senate term following her two successful statewide campaigns for Attorney General.