Ashley Moody, Alex Vindman will both face Primary battles to get on November ballot

The field is set for Florida’s U.S. Senate race in 2026. With qualification over, both GOP incumbent Ashley Moody and Democratic front-runner Alexander Vindman will face Primary opponents.

Moody, who was appointed to her seat by Gov. Ron DeSantis last year, paid the $10,440 qualifying fee Thursday to guarantee her spot on the ballot. She filled the seat vacated by U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio after his confirmation as Secretary of State, but has to stand for election this year.

The winner in the Midterm Election will serve the last two years of Rubio’s Senate term before the seat is up again in 2028.

Vindman, a veteran and a National Security Council whistleblower whose testimony led to President Donald Trump’s first impeachment, also paid the qualifying fee for the race Thursday.

“Floridians deserve a leader who is fighting for them, which is why I will spend from now until Election Day meeting with Floridians in blue, red, and purple areas alike to earn their vote,” Vindman said in a statement when he filed his final paperwork.

But Vindman could face stiff competition for the Democratic nomination. Most notably, state Rep. Angie Nixon on Friday paid the qualifying fee shortly before the deadline, guaranteeing a matchup between the progressive champion and Vindman.

As of the end of March, Vindman had raised almost $8.19 million and closed the quarter with more than $6.44 million cash on hand. Meanwhile, Nixon had raised close to $294,000, and had under $178,000 in the bank. But she has more experience running in Florida and organizing progressive groups statewide.

No other Democrats qualified to appear on the ballot. That included former U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson, who had filed interest in the Senate seat with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) but never announced a campaign. Former congressional candidate Josh Weil had announced last year but dropped out in July.

On the Republican side, Moody will also face a Primary, though not one as well-funded just yet.

Forensic investigator Chris Gleason, physician Neelam Perry and minister Ernie Rivera all qualified for the ballot as Republicans.

Gleason has reported about $3,400 in fundraising. Perry filed with the FEC in late March, and Rivera did so in early April. Neither has filed any financial reports to date.

Activist Michelangelo Hamilton failed to qualify for the seat. Pardoned Jan. 6 activist Jake Lang, despite raising more than $31,000 for a run, never filed state paperwork.

Neil Gillespie of Ocala filed for the seat in mid-March and paid the more modest $6,060 to qualify for the race without any party affiliation. That means he will appear on the November ballot alongside the Democrat and Republican nominees.

No other candidates filed checks before a noon deadline, and the Division of Elections said the qualifying period has closed. Florida Politics is waiting to learn if Alix Toulme qualified as a write-in candidate, which does not require a qualifying fee.