U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody has never lost an election, and the Republican Primary for U.S. Senate is unlikely to break that streak.
While Moody is the incumbent, she has never been elected to Senate. She was appointed to the post last year by Gov. Ron DeSantis after Marco Rubio was selected by President Donald Trump to serve as U.S. Secretary of State.
Moody’s Republican contenders lack her connections and none have been elected to any public office.
Christopher Gleason is a U.S. Army veteran and self-proclaimed “tech pioneer.” Ernie Rivera is a reverend who says on his website, “We are done playing nice while our nation is being dismantled.” Neelam Perry is a physician and, like Moody, is supportive of Trump’s “America First” agenda.
Through July 29, Moody has far surpassed her GOP contenders in funding while raising close to $11.3 million in the race, according to Federal Election Commission (FEC) records. She has spent just under $2.78 million, and wrapped up the Pre-Primary reporting period with more than $8.48 million in cash on hand.
Gleason raised less than $22,000 and spent nearly $27,000, closing the period more than $5,100 in the hole. He has reported $200 in candidate loans and another $3,300 in candidate contributions to the race.
Rivera has raised just shy of $16,000, which includes $10,700 in candidate loans. He has spent just over $15,000 and closed the Pre-Primary period with less than $1,000 on hand.
Perry has never reported any financial activity with the FEC.
Moody has been a staple in Florida politics for the past two decades. She was originally elected as a 13th Judicial Circuit Court Judge in Hillsborough County in 2006. She moved on to a bigger stage by winning the 2018 Attorney General election and was re-elected in 2022.
Moody has maintained a profile in Washington, D.C., while pursuing many of the agendas and causes she spearheaded as Attorney General. She’s gotten behind several legislative bills that address crime.
In May she threw her support into six measures that support law enforcement and was appointed to the Senate Armed Services Committee in March, one of the higher-profile panels in Congress.
Should Moody win as expected, she advances to the Nov. 3 General Election to face the winner of the Democratic Primary where Alex Vindman is the front-runner on that ballot while state Rep. Angie Nixon is a likely dark-horse Democratic threat. No-party candidate Neil Gillespie will also appear on the General Election ballot.
Drew Dixon is a journalist of 40 years who has reported in print and broadcast throughout Florida, starting in Ohio in the 1980s. He is also an adjunct professor of philosophy and ethics at three colleges, Jacksonville University, University of North Florida and Florida State College at Jacksonville. You can reach him at [email protected].
August 15, 2026 at 2:39 pm
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