Florida voters decide Rubio's Senate seat
Incumbent Ashley Moody faces Angie Nixon and Neil Gillespie in a special election to fill the remainder of a term expiring in January 2029.
By Harper Collins ·
Florida voters are casting ballots in a special election to determine the next U.S. senator for the state. The contest will fill the remainder of the term held by former senator Marco Rubio, which concludes in January 2029.
Three candidates appear on the ballot. Ashley Moody, the incumbent, faces Angie Nixon, a Democrat and state representative, and Neil Gillespie, a candidate without a party affiliation. Moody assumed the seat in January 2025 after Governor Ron DeSantis appointed her to replace Rubio, who became the U.S. secretary of state.
This special election is one of two such contests in the 2026 midterm cycle, the other taking place in Ohio. Nationwide, 35 Senate seats are on the ballot this year. Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority in the chamber. Democrats need to win four additional seats to gain control of the Senate.
Rubio originally secured the Florida Senate seat in 2022. He defeated Democrat Val Demings with 57.7 percent of the vote to 41.3 percent. The current race adds to a slate of key contests occurring on November 3.
Polls closed at 7 p.m. local time in most of Florida. In the western Panhandle, voting ended at 8 p.m. Eastern Time. Election officials are now compiling the final tallies for the state's districts.
