Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced Thursday that Attorney General Ashley Moody will replace Marco Rubio in the Sunshine State's House of Representatives.
DeSantis announced his selection at a news conference in Orlando, days before Rubio was sworn in as President-elect Donald Trump's secretary of state.
The governor said he wants to choose a successor who supports President Trump's hard-line immigration policies and “cuts spending.”
DeSantis added Wednesday that he didn't announce it sooner because he didn't want the media to attack his selection as a “piñata” in the months leading up to Rubio's inauguration.
To fulfill the remainder of Rubio's term, Moody will need to hold a special election in November 2026. If she chooses, she will run for a full six-year term in 2028.
Mr. DeSantis has met with Mr. Trump several times in recent weeks, going golfing together and meeting at the governor's dinner at Mar-a-Lago.
The two men have mended rifts in their relationship since the 2024 Republican primary and have remained warm with each other in recent months.
After Rubio was named America's top diplomat, Lara Trump, Trump's daughter-in-law and former co-chair of the Republican National Committee, was widely seen as the front-runner for the post.
But the Trump family member withdrew her name from consideration for the seat last month.
