(WSVN) - As Floridians choose the next U.S. senator during this midterm election, Democratic candidate Angie Nixon said she draws a stark contrast between herself and Ashley Moody, the current U.S. Senator from Florida she hopes to unseat.
Nixon, 42, sat down with 7News to discuss her campaign and what she would bring to Congress, as opposed to Moody.
“The differences are night and day. I am someone who puts people first. People over politics, people over profit and even people over party,” said Nixon.
Moody, a Republican, was appointed to the seat in January 2025 to serve out part of Marco Rubio’s term after he took the role of Secretary of State in President Donald Trump’s Cabinet.
Nixon said she thinks Moody’s performance has been poor, and she hopes to be the one who finishes the remaining two years.
“Ashley Moody does not return phone calls, emails from her constituents. They oftentimes call my state office, and we help connect them to the resources that they need,” said Nixon.
Born and raised in Jacksonville, Nixon was first elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2020, where she led pushes to expand free childcare and spearheaded the resistance against this year’s redistricting efforts.
“Florida, we have a problem. Corrupt politicians in D.C. are working for greedy corporations,” she said in a political advertisement.
Nixon’s protests led to an arrest during a sit-in at Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office.
“I grew up in a family that worked hard and still struggled, so fighting for working families, it’s not politics for me. It’s personal,” said Nixon, in a political advertisement.
Nixon has criticized Moody for her record in the short stint she has served in Washington, so far.
“Ashley Moody has voted to end healthcare for over 440,000 Floridians. She refuses to sign on to expanding [Temporary Protected Status] for Venezuelans, for Haitians, and she has gone along with this really cruel administration designed to tear families apart and deport people,” said Nixon.
Nixon is a proud progressive, even getting the backing of self-proclaimed Democratic-Socialist Bernie Sanders. However, she pushed back on the “socialist” and “communist” labels her opponents have tried to place on her.
“I am the total opposite of what she’s trying to demonize me as,” said Nixon.
She said her agenda is focused on the working class, not the rich and powerful.
“I have an agenda. We want to push for Medicare for all, universal health coverage, so no one goes bankrupt simply because they go to the doctor. We want to make sure that people have access to quality housing,” said Nixon. “Also, I was a single mom for 12 years. I know what it’s like to struggle as it relates to childcare costs. I believe in universal childcare, because I know that for every dollar we put into universal childcare, that adds $3 into the economy, and that allows parents to be able to get to work.”
If elected, Nixon would become Florida’s first Black senator. Her election would also see a Democrat back representing the Sunshine State in the Senate for the first time in eight years.
Nixon said she does not think she is too radical to win over the votes of Floridians who have trended more conservative in recent years.
“There’s nothing radical about wanting people to be healthy, to be prosperous, to be safe,” she said. “There’s nothing radical about me wanting to ensure people have healthcare or housing or food on their table. There’s nothing radical or extreme about that at all.”
7News reached out to Moody several times to ask whether she would take part in a similar sit-down interview. She did not respond to multiple requests.
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