Janelle Irwin Taylor
U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor is congratulating Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody on her appointment by Gov. Ron DeSantis to the U.S. Senate to succeed U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio.
“For the first time in history, a U.S. Senator representing the State of Florida will hail from Tampa/Hillsborough County once Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody is sworn into the Senate,” Castor said, nodding to her congressional district. “I look forward to working with Senator Moody on issues that lower costs and improve the lives of Florida families and small businesses.”
Castor is the first woman elected to represent Tampa and Hillsborough County in the U.S. Congress.
“I am eager to work together on bipartisan solutions to improve the lives of Floridians, help us recover from the devastating hurricanes and protect our natural resources for future generations. While the country has yet to elect a female President, I hope that this moment in history — with strong women from Hillsborough County leading the way — will be an inspiration for all who seek to make a positive difference for their community and country,” Castor added.
DeSantis announced on Thursday that he had selected Moody to replace Rubio, who was nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to serve in his administration as Secretary of State.
Rubio first won election in 2010 and appears on a smooth path to confirmation as soon as next week. Moody enters the national stage as a known quantity to Florida voters, who twice elected her to statewide office.
While Castor called for bipartisanship with a fellow Tampa native on Capitol Hill, Moody promised to support a conservative shift in Congress.
“I pledge to you as United States Senator, supporting the REINS Act, supporting any effort to rein back in our out-of-control federal agencies, make sure politics have pushed out of it, make sure we bring down spending — I am all for that. And I got the backs of the American people, DOGE and President Trump.”
Moody has been a frequent critic of current President Joe Biden’s administration, challenging several of his actions.
“We beat the Biden administration that had continued to keep our cruise lines closed, and we liberated the cruise industry because of her lawsuit,” DeSantis boasted of Moody’s legal actions against federal policies championed by the Biden administration.
“We also beat Biden on the employer vaccine mRNA mandate, which was going to have people lose their jobs if they didn’t take this shot that many people didn’t want. So her efforts were really critical in achieving those successes.”
Moody will take office after Rubio vacates the seat, which must await his confirmation as Secretary of State. That could happen as soon as Monday, the same day as Trump’s inauguration to a second term. DeSantis, who plans to attend the inauguration, said he hopes to see Moody sworn into the Senate on the same day.
Still, Castor remains hopeful that partisanship won’t always be a barrier to progress in both women’s native Tampa Bay. In addition to Castor and Moody serving in Congress, fellow Tampa native and former state Attorney General Pam Bondi has been nominated to serve as U.S. Attorney General in the Trump administration, and U.S. Rep. Laurel Lee represents parts of east Hillsborough, including Brandon.
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Florida Politics staff contributed to this report.
