Candidates’ final push before Florida primary election
ORLANDO, Fla. —
“I do love being your fighter,” said Florida’s Republican U.S. Senator Ashley Moody as she concluded a speech Thursday afternoon at Valencia College, where she hosted a “back-to-school” expo.
She wants voters to send her back to D.C. to continue fighting.
Appointed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis last year to fill the unexpired term of now-Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Moody is expected to easily win her primary Tuesday.
She told WESH 2 News, “In the last five days, I’m always trying to get and encourage people to pay attention, find out where you are registered to vote, and get out and vote.”
Hoping to square off against Moody in November is the top-fundraising Democrat, retired Lt. Colonel Alex Vindman.
Vindman, the whistleblower in the first impeachment of President Donald Trump, says he’s ready to debate Moody but doubts that she’ll accept, adding, “I’m skeptical. I don’t think that she wants to put herself in that kind of strong contrast position.”
When asked about Vindman’s doubts, Moody told WESH 2 News, “Oh, I don’t know (about a debate). Our teams will talk about it after the primary.”
Vindman, it should be noted, refused to debate his primary opponent, Jacksonville State Rep. Angie Nixon.
Turning to the governor’s race, Republican Byron Donalds is heading to Central Florida for events this weekend and plans to be in Orlando on election night. He’s been the polling frontrunner in a GOP battle with Florida Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, businessman James Fishback, and former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner.
During what his campaign called his final news conference with journalists before Tuesday’s election, one held virtually Thursday afternoon, Collins blasted Donalds’ roots in politically-blue New York, and his Trump endorsement, saying, “Byron was Brooklyn born. He knows that world. I will not let that world remake this state. He can run with the national brand. He can talk from Washington DC. Here in Florida, I lead from experience.”
The winner of the Republican primary is expected to face off against former Florida congressman — a Republican-turned-Democrat — David Jolly.
Jolly has already selected his running mate, former North Florida congresswoman Gwen Graham, whose father, Bob Graham, was the 38th governor of Florida and a three-term U.S. senator.
With Donalds still hovering around 50% in the polls, Collins, Fishback and Renner have a tough job of catch-up with little time left between now and Tuesday when the ballots will be counted.