Sen. Ashley Moody, R-Fla., is warning that the democratic socialist agenda threatening Florida's economy comes down to two demands: more power and more money. In a sit-down interview with Fox News Digital, the Florida Republican said that's the core formula behind the Democratic Socialists of America platform — an economic model she says is failing in cities across the country.
Moody is making that case directly to Florida voters as she runs for a full Senate term against Democratic state Rep. Angie Nixon, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America. With Florida's economy now valued at $1.8 trillion, Moody argues the stakes could not be higher for the state's workers, families and small businesses.
"Their answer to everything, whether it's affordability, whether it's a challenge that you're having with a certain business situation, whether it's health care, I mean, you name it," Moody told Fox News Digital. "It will go back to one of two things: It will be, give us more power to control businesses, to have government tell you how things are to be, to cram down on business — or give us more money and trust us, we'll make it better."
Moody said the contrast between the two parties' economic visions has never been clearer. She pointed to Republican tax policies that have prioritized letting Americans keep more of their earnings, including tax deductions for tips and overtime.
"In Florida, we had the highest average tax return of any state in the nation. That's real money that we're leaving in your pocket, efforts of goodwill to make sure people understand we know who can spend their money best," Moody said.
The Florida Republican also highlighted her work as one of the original members of a Senate task force focused on combating government fraud and waste. She described the misuse of taxpayer funds as a betrayal of the Americans who earned that money in the first place.
"It is a slap in the face to Americans that their hard-earned taxpayer dollars went to criminals and corruption and fraud. So I'm really proud to be standing up as one of the original task force members in the Senate to combat some of this stuff," Moody said.
Moody's warnings come as households nationwide continue to feel the squeeze from inflation and elevated living costs. The Bureau of Labor Statistics' most recent consumer price index showed inflation increased 0.4% on a monthly basis and remains up 3.4% from a year ago. The national affordability crunch has become a central theme of the 2026 midterm cycle, with Republicans arguing that tax relief and deregulation are the answer while Democrats push for expanded government programs and higher taxes on businesses.
Florida has become a magnet for businesses and families fleeing high-tax blue states, and Moody credits the free-enterprise model she says is now under attack. The race between Moody and Nixon sets up a direct clash over that model — one that could shape whether the state continues to attract investment and new residents or follows the path of cities where democratic socialist policies have taken hold.
Nixon, a state representative from Jacksonville, has not publicly responded to Moody's latest remarks. Fox News Digital reached out to her campaign for comment. The two candidates are set to face off in November, with control of the Senate already shaping up as a battleground in the Trump-Vance administration's second term.
Moody's message to Florida voters is simple: the free-market policies that built the state's economy are on the ballot.
Our Take
Ashley Moody isn't just campaigning. She's drawing a line. Florida is proof that conservative economic policy works — low taxes, less regulation, and a government that respects the people who pay the bills. That model has turned the state into a $1.8 trillion powerhouse and a destination for families and businesses leaving the blue-state failures behind.
Now the Democratic Socialists of America want to bring that same failed blueprint to the Sunshine State. Their playbook is always the same: promise everything is free, then reach deeper into your pocket and take control of the industries that keep America running. It has already emptied out once-great cities. It is not a mystery what happens next.
Moody understands something the left never will. Government doesn't create prosperity. Hardworking Americans do. The best thing Washington and Tallahassee can do is get out of the way, keep taxes low, and let people keep more of what they earn. Florida's boom is not an accident. It's a choice. November is when voters decide whether to protect it.
