Alex Vindman Enters Florida Senate Race to Challenge Sen. Ashley Moody
Retired Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman announced a Democratic run for Florida’s U.S. Senate seat, pledging to check former President Donald Trump.
Overview
Retired Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman announced on Tuesday that he is running as a Democrat for the U.S. Senate in Florida to challenge Sen. Ashley Moody in a Nov. special election, according to his campaign statement.
Vindman said in a launch video that the president’s actions in 2019 prompted his congressional testimony and led to his removal from the National Security Council and later retirement from the Army, according to his campaign.
Vindman called former President Donald Trump a “wannabe tyrant” and criticized federal immigration agents as “thug militias” in his announcement video, which included footage of the recent deaths of two U.S. citizens during a federal deportation campaign in Minnesota, according to his campaign.
Sen. Ashley Moody was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to fill the seat vacated by Marco Rubio when he became secretary of state, and the winner of the Nov. special election will serve the final two years of Rubio’s term, officials confirmed.
Florida trended Republican in 2024 with Trump carrying the state by 13 points, making Vindman an underdog though Democrats cited his fundraising potential and national backlash against Trump’s immigration policies as strategic opportunities, party strategists said.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame Vindman primarily as an anti‑Trump figure and credible impeachment witness by foregrounding his NSC role and testimony, repeatedly featuring his accusatory campaign soundbites. While those incendiary lines are source content, editorial choices — emphasis, quote curation, and electoral context — steer readers to view the run through a Trump-opposition lens.
Sources (10)
![Alex Vindman Launches Florida US Senate Bid [VIDEO]](https://www.joemygod.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/AlexVindman2026.jpg)
FAQ
Alexander Vindman is a retired Army Lt. Col. and combat veteran who served on the National Security Council. He gained prominence as the key whistleblower testifying against Trump during his 2019 impeachment trial over a call with Ukraine's Zelensky, leading to his firing from the NSC and Army retirement.
Sen. Ashley Moody is Florida's former Attorney General, appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Marco Rubio, who became Trump's Secretary of State. The special election winner will serve the remaining two years of Rubio's term.
In his launch video, Vindman calls Trump a 'wannabe tyrant' who unleashed 'terror and retribution,' criticizes federal immigration agents as 'thug militias' with footage of U.S. citizen deaths in Minnesota, and accuses Moody of being a 'yes' vote for Trump and billionaires, not Florida.
Florida trended Republican in 2024 with Trump winning by 13 points. It's a special election in November 2026 for Rubio's remaining term until 2028. Democrats see potential in Vindman's fundraising and backlash to Trump's policies, despite Moody raising $4 million.
Vindman faces a crowded Democratic primary including former Brevard County school board member Jennifer Jenkins, progressive state Rep. Angie Nixon, and Venezuelan-American Hector Mujica, former head of philanthropy at Google for the Americas.[1]
History
4 sources