Gia Estevez | Contributory Writer
Malika Benjamin | Videographer
Florida voters will head to the polls Nov. 3 to decide who will serve the remainder of the state’s U.S. Senate term, previously held by Marco Rubio.
Three candidates are on the general election ballot: Republican Ashley Moody, Democrat Angie Nixon, and Neil Gillespie, who is running with No Party Affiliation. The Florida Division of Elections candidate list confirms all three are qualified for the general election.
The seat opened after former Sen. Marco Rubio left the Senate in January 2025 to become U.S. secretary of state. Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Moody, who was Florida’s attorney general at the time, to take his place. The person elected in November will serve the rest of Rubio’s term, which ends in January 2029.
Moody, the Republican candidate, has served in the Senate since her appointment. Before that, she was Florida’s attorney general from 2019 to 2025. She previously worked as a federal prosecutor and a judge in Hillsborough County. Her campaign has focused on economic issues, border security, and law enforcement.
Moody has also focused on lowering prescription drug costs and fighting fentanyl trafficking. Her Senate work includes legislation on healthcare, public safety, and Florida’s space industry.
Nixon, the Democratic candidate, is a state representative from Jacksonville. She announced her Senate campaign in January 2026 and has made the cost of living one of the main issues of her campaign.
Her campaign platform includes free childcare, Medicare for All, paid family and sick leave, and a national rent freeze. Nixon also supports tuition-free public colleges and trade schools, student debt cancellation, and more funding for public schools.
Neil Gillespie, who is running with No Party Affiliation, is the third candidate in the race. The Florida Division of Elections lists Gillespie as a qualified candidate for the general election.
Gillespie has focused his campaign on immigration, border security, and changes to the two-party political system. He has also discussed changes to the legal system and government accountability. His campaign website says these issues are among his reasons for running for Senate.
The Senate race could affect issues important to Florida residents, including healthcare, education, immigration, and the economy. For college students, decisions made in the Senate can also affect federal student aid, student loans, and the cost of attending college.
FIU students also shared the issues they would like Florida’s next U.S. senator to focus on.
“The next senator should prioritize affordable healthcare,” said Camila Cantuarias-Rueda, a political science major.
“I would want them to prioritize education .. We have a lot of people who want to be educated and share their knowledge,” said Carlos Zuñiga, a major in biological sciences.
The general election will take place on Nov. 3.
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