Jennifer Jenkins, a Democratic former school board member who rose to national attention during the pandemic, announced her bid on Wednesday for the U.S. Senate in Florida, challenging Republican Sen. Ashley Moody in the 2026 special election.
Jenkins announced her campaign in a launch video in which she said, "Ashley Moody doesn’t know what it’s like to struggle paying for food, housing, health care and day care. But I do. I’m fighting for my family and for all the families in Florida who work hard, fight harder, and won’t quit when the chips are down." She said her priorities include lowering the cost of living, protecting access to health care and ensuring that every Floridian has the "freedom to thrive," and pledged to counter what she described as "MAGA extremists."
The race for the seat prompted the special election after Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Moody to fill the vacancy left when Sen. Marco Rubio was tapped by President Donald Trump to serve as U.S. secretary of state. Moody must now run in the special election to retain the seat.
Jenkins first gained prominence as a speech pathologist turned political activist on the Brevard County School Board, where she unseated Tina Descovich in 2020. Descovich later co‑founded the conservative parental rights group Moms for Liberty. Jenkins drew national attention during heated school board disputes over pandemic-era public health measures and instruction on race and gender, becoming a target of angry protesters. Jenkins and supporters said she faced threats, vandalism of her property and a false report of child abuse.
Her entry adds a high-profile Democratic contender to a statewide contest in a politically significant state. Brevard County, where Jenkins was elected to the school board, had been carried by President Trump by nearly 20 percentage points in 2020, underscoring the partisan challenges Democrats face in some Florida regions.
Moody, a Republican appointee, will campaign as the incumbent in the special election called to fill the remainder of Rubio's term. Jenkins’ campaign launch frames the contest as a contrast between her personal experience and policy focus and what she portrays as the priorities of Republicans aligned with Trump-era politics.
The announcement was reported by The Associated Press. Jennifer Jenkins' decision adds to a growing roster of candidates preparing for the 2026 cycle in Florida, where control of federal offices and the direction of state policy remain closely watched by national political observers.
Both campaigns are expected to ramp up fundraising and field operations ahead of primary contests and the special election next year.