Marco Rubio's replacement may already have a MAGA primary challenger: report

Florida's freshly appointed senator may already have a primary challenger to keep the seat vacated by Marco Rubio.

Gov. Ron DeSantis tapped the state's attorney general Ashley Moody to fill the U.S. Senate seat through 2026, but another finalist for the position, Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL), told CNN's Manu Raju that he is considering a primary bid.

“I do,” said Mills, when asked whether he believed Moody would face a primary challenger in two years. “I am considering it.”

The 49-year-old Moody, a former prosecutor and judge who once sued Trump for fraud, was appointed to replace Rubio, who has been nominated as secretary of state, over the conservative Mills and Lara Trump, who publicly campaigned for the job and whom the president-elect, billionaire Elon Musk and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk had all lobbied DeSantis to choose.

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“We are going to eyeball the seat,” Mills told CNN. “We are going to look at how she does, how she votes and how she supports the agenda.”

The Democratic Senate Campaign Committee told Fox News correspondent Chad Pergram that Moody's appointment put the state in play for the midterms.

"Days into the start of the 2026 cycle Republicans’ already challenging Senate map just became more difficult for them as they’re forced to defend yet another seat," Pergram reported. "Their candidate brings a long and controversial record that will face close scrutiny from the voters, along with a potential challenge from within her own party."

Mills told CNN he would consult with the president-elect about possibly challenging Moody, who had endorsed DeSantis over Trump in the 2024 GOP primary.

“I’ll talk to the president about it, see what he thinks,” Mills said. “We’re going to keep an eye on the seat and we’ll make a decision when the time is right.”