West Palm Beach, Florida — Governor Ron DeSantis has appointed Ashley Moody, the state’s Attorney General, to take on the role of Florida’s next U.S. senator.
This decision follows the announcement of President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of current U.S. Senator Marco Rubio to serve as Secretary of State.
Here are five significant aspects to know about Moody, who has held the position of Florida’s top law enforcement official since 2019:
Firstly, Moody’s ties to law enforcement are deeply rooted in her family background.
With a career established in the legal field, she previously served as a federal prosecutor before being elected as a circuit judge in Hillsborough County at the age of 31.
In 2018, she ran for statewide attorney general on the same ballot as DeSantis, who was also vying for governor.
Coming from a prominent family in the Tampa Bay area, Moody follows the legacy of her father, who is U.S. District Judge James Moody.
As a member of the Florida Cabinet, she has consistently shown support for law enforcement initiatives.
Her husband, Justin Duralia, was appointed deputy police chief in Plant City last July and previously worked for 24 years at the Drug Enforcement Administration, ultimately as a supervisory special agent.
The couple shares two sons, Brandon and Connor.
Secondly, Moody has established herself as an ally of Trump, often coming to his defense.
She gained attention for her participation with 16 other Republican state attorneys general in a lawsuit that sought to challenge the legitimacy of President Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election.
At that time, she emphasized the necessity of ensuring the integrity of the electoral process.
Additionally, her office recently sought an arrest warrant for Ryan Wesley Routh, who is suspected of attempting to assassinate Trump while visiting his club in West Palm Beach last September.
In relation to this case, Moody is pursuing charges of attempted felony murder connected to an incident that critically injured a young girl during the suspect’s arrest.
Moody is also set to make history as Florida’s second female senator, a role last held nearly four decades ago.
Paula Hawkins served in the Senate from 1981 to 1987, making Moody’s upcoming position noteworthy.
After her appointment was confirmed by DeSantis, she spoke about how her experiences as a woman would influence her work in the U.S. Senate.
As she stated, her experience as a mother continues to guide her perspective and priorities in public service.
Furthermore, Moody has taken a strong stance against ballot measures related to abortion and cannabis legalization.
Her office worked to disqualify ballot proposals that would have expanded abortion rights and legalized recreational marijuana in Florida for the 2024 elections.
She criticized the abortion initiative’s supporters for allegedly waging a “war” on the procedure and accused the marijuana amendment of presenting misleading statements regarding federal law.
The Florida Supreme Court ultimately allowed both measures to be presented to voters, though they failed to achieve the necessary support for constitutional amendment despite a majority backing.
Lastly, Ashley Moody carries a sense of Florida heritage.
A fifth-generation Floridian from Plant City, she was crowned the queen of the Florida Strawberry Festival in 1993, an event celebrating the state’s strawberry industry for nearly a century.
Additionally, she is a proud graduate of the University of Florida, holding a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, and a Juris Doctor from the institution, marking her as a triple Gator.
