Republican Ashley Moody won Florida's special U.S. Senate election on Nov. 3, keeping the seat under GOP control, CBS News projects.

Moody defeated Democrat Angie Nixon in the race for the seat vacated by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The win means Moody will serve the remainder of Rubio's term, which ends in early 2029, according to NBC News. The seat will be on the ballot again in 2028 for a full term.

Gov. Ron DeSantis had appointed Moody to the seat after Rubio was tapped to serve in President Donald Trump's Cabinet, NBC News reported. Moody, 51, previously served as Florida's attorney general, according to CBS News.

Beaches voters' House seat stays with Rutherford

Closer to home, Rep. John Rutherford, a Republican, held Florida's 5th Congressional District. That district covers Atlantic Beach, Jacksonville Beach and Neptune Beach, along with southeastern Jacksonville and St. Johns County.

With 98.6% of precincts reporting, Democrat Rachel Grage had 44% of the vote in the District 5 race, according to News4Jax election results.

In neighboring District 4, Rep. Aaron Bean, also a Republican, held his seat. Democrat LaShonda Holloway received 48% of the vote with 98.8% of precincts reporting, News4Jax reported.

Fine wins District 6

Rep. Randy Fine, a Republican, won re-election in Florida's 6th Congressional District, defeating Democrat Eric Yonce, the Associated Press called, as WESH reported. District 6 covers Flagler County and parts of Volusia, Lake, Marion, Putnam and St. Johns counties.

All four Republican winners carried Trump endorsements, according to the Tallahassee Democrat.

Senate race drew national attention

The Senate contest attracted national interest after Nixon, 42, a Democratic Socialists of America-aligned state legislator from the Jacksonville area, pulled off an upset primary victory over a more moderate opponent, NBC News reported. Nixon had represented portions of the Jacksonville area in the Florida Statehouse since 2020, according to CBS News.

Moody faced criticism for declining to debate Nixon, who held events across the state and appeared regularly on traditional media and podcasts, NBC News reported. Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried held a news conference in Tallahassee last month featuring a sign that read "Where is Ashley Moody?"

Florida now has 1.5 million more registered Republicans than Democrats, NBC News reported. Trump won the state by 13 points in 2024, according to CBS News.

Polls were open across Florida on Nov. 3 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time. This was the first U.S. House election since May's mid-decade redistricting in Florida, which First Coast News reported introduced a congressional map designed to increase the Republican advantage by four seats.