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Despite leading in preliminary returns from Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, Democrat Angie Nixon lost her bid for the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, falling to Republican incumbent Ashley Moody.
Breaking Down the Numbers
The win keeps the seat under Republican control. CNN’s statewide results, updated at 9:24 a.m. ET on Wednesday with an estimated 99% of the vote counted, showed Moody receiving 50.9% to Nixon’s 48.0%. Those figures placed Nixon 2.9 percentage points behind the incumbent.
The Tampa Bay returns offered a different picture, showing support for Nixon in two of the region’s largest counties while Moody held a substantial advantage in neighboring Pasco County.
In Hillsborough County, Nixon won over 53% of the vote, compared with Moody’s 45%. Pinellas County was considerably closer. Closing poll numbers showed Nixon over 49% and Moody at 48%.
Hillsborough and Pinellas were among the only 12 Florida counties that gave Nixon the majority, though Nixon is credited with revving up Democratic turnout statewide, according to CNN ‘s live results in their Florida Senate special election.
Nixon entered the general election facing a significant financial disadvantage. NBC News reported that Moody used her fundraising strength to purchase extensive television advertising, while Nixon emphasized in-person appearances and interviews across traditional media and podcasts.
The contest also exposed competing approaches to reaching Florida voters. Moody’s campaign attacked Nixon’s association with the Democratic Socialists of America and portrayed her as too liberal for the state. Nixon focused her campaign primarily on lowering everyday costs for families, universal healthcare, affordable housing, and placing higher taxes on the rich.
Only the Beginning
On Tuesday night, Nixon posted a touching thank you post on Instagram to supporters with an encouraging caption.
“What we built together is REAL. Every door you knocked, every call you made, every dollar you gave and every friend you brought to the polls proved that working people in this state are ready for something better,” Nixon captioned her post.
She added, “That movement isn’t going anywhere, and neither am I. The fight continues.”
In an official statement shared with Power Broker, Nixon said although the results were not what she and her team worked for, she is an organizer and not a politician.
“And organizers don’t quit on the mission because one option closes,” she said in remarks shared by her team.
Nixon went on to discuss the groundbreaking work she was able to complete with her campaign.
“We knocked on doors in that hot Florida sun that had never been knocked. We made phone calls to voters that thought no one was listening to them. We organized in churches, union halls, college campuses, barbershops, and living rooms,” Nixon said. “We brought together Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and folks who had never believed politics had anything to offer them. And because of the work YOU did, we all gave people something to believe in again. We reminded people that their voices matter. That their lives matter. And that they deserve a government that works for THEM.”
Full remarks can be seen on YouTube.
On Instagram, Nixon also hinted at another Senate run for 2028. “I’m proud of the race we ran. We helped drive turnout and broke the super majority in the state house and senate,” Nixon posted on her X account. “2028 is around the corner.”
As for Moody, she will serve the remaining two years of the term previously held by Marco Rubio, who left the Senate to become secretary of state. The seat returns to the ballot in 2028. Florida Democrats have not won a U.S. Senate election since 2012.
“I am incredibly humbled and grateful to continue serving as your Senator,” Moody posted on her X account. “I don’t take for granted that you’ve put your trust in me to serve YOU – my bosses – in the United States Senate! We’ve gotten a lot done in the past two years, but we have much more to do. Let’s get to work!”
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