Florida voters are choosing between Republican Sen. Ashley Moody and Democrat Angie Nixon in a special U.S. Senate election, and the Suncoast is clearly engaged. Early and mail-in turnout reached 46% in Sarasota County and 42% in Manatee County before polls opened on Election Day, numbers that signal strong local interest in a race with national consequences.
The seat opened when Marco Rubio became secretary of state, prompting Gov. Ron DeSantis to appoint Moody, Florida’s former attorney general, to fill it temporarily. Now voters get the final say, and the winner serves the remainder of Rubio’s term through January 2029. The contest is one of two special Senate elections tonight that could influence party control of the chamber, where Republicans currently hold a 53-seat majority.
Moody’s election night watch party is set for Hotel Haya in Tampa, and results are expected to roll in through the evening. For beach communities from Anna Maria to Venice, the outcome shapes who represents this region in Washington for the next three years. Did you cast your ballot early, or are you voting today? Let us know in the comments.
