Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., announced Thursday who he plans to appoint to the Senate following the resignation of Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., as he is expected to be confirmed as President-elect Donald Trump’s secretary after his state Inauguration.

The governor chose Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody to be the next senator.

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Florida AG Ashley Moody and Governor Ron DeSantis at a public event. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Moody was a key ally of DeSantis in the state, working with him to advance his goals as governor.

During his announcement on Thursday, DeSantis said: “So this is something I thought long and hard about. But the final criteria I used was that you can say all of these things and say that you stand for it – I wanted to someone who has a proven track record of delivering results on these important topics.

“We need people who have demonstrated loyalty to these principles through their actions. That’s why today I’m proud to announce that I have selected our Attorney General, Ashley Moody, to be our next U.S. Senator,” he told attendees.

Moody accepted the challenge and thanked the governor for his choice. “Thank you. I will bring the same tenacity, passion and tenacity as a United States Senator that I brought as Attorney General of Florida,” she said.

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Moody was elected Florida’s next senator. (Florida Governor’s Office)

“If you’ve worked and fought with me over the last six years, you know I don’t see this as a job. I see it as a calling,” she explained.

When asked about taking on the role on “Fox and Friends First” in November, Moody previously said: “I have my hands full here as Attorney General and I’m incredibly focused on this job, working on behalf of Floridians Of course, I protect the autonomy of the state and keep Washington out of our business and hold it accountable. Of course, I love … Floridians working with President Trump and Governor DeSantis.”

Initially, Trump and Sens. Katie Britt, R-Ala., and Rick Scott, R-Fla., supported Trump’s daughter-in-law and former RNC co-chair Lara Trump to replace Rubio. However, she later withdrew her name from consideration.

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Lara Trump served as co-chair of the RNC in the 2024 election. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

“After an incredible amount of thought, consideration and the encouragement of so many, I have decided to remove my name from consideration for the U.S. Senate,” she wrote on X.

Following Thursday’s announcement, Scott Moody congratulated X. “I welcome @AGAshleyMoody to the United States Senate! Ashley has done an incredible job as Attorney General fighting for Floridians and keeping our communities safe. I have no doubt that she will do an incredible job as Attorney General.” Senator!” he said.

Rubio is likely to be confirmed as secretary of state. (REUTERS/Mike Segar)

DeSantis added Thursday that he expects to appoint Moody to the Senate on the afternoon of Jan. 20, after Trump is sworn into office.

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“We expect Senator Rubio to be confirmed very quickly following the inauguration of the 47th president, President Trump,” he said.

He also thanked Rubio for his service as a senator. “I want to thank Senator Rubio for his service in the U.S. Senate. “I think he will serve the country ably as secretary of state, and we need that because the last four years have been a total disaster under Biden-Harris administration,” the governor said.