DeSantis chief of staff James Uthmeier to replace Moody as Sunshine State’s top cop
Florida governor Ron DeSantis tapped his attorney general, Ashley Moody, to succeed secretary of state nominee Marco Rubio in the Senate, the Republican announced on Thursday.
The news comes one day after Rubio breezed through his Senate confirmation hearing. He is widely expected to be confirmed in a bipartisan vote shortly after President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, at which point his seat will formally open.
Moody was first elected in 2018, filling the role previously held by Trump’s attorney general nominee, Pam Bondi. Moody cruised to reelection in 2022, winning by 15 points.
During his Thursday press conference, DeSantis said Moody has “a demonstrated record of delivering results.”
As attorney general, Moody has prioritized fighting the opioid crisis and illegal immigration, both top priorities of the new GOP-controlled Congress and White House. She also has launched efforts to push back against the anti-Semitic Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. In March, she led a group of 18 state attorneys general in a probe targeting the investment firm MSCI and its BDS practices.
With Moody on her way to Washington, D.C., DeSantis elevated his chief of staff, James Uthmeier, to serve as state attorney general.
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