From January through March, Alex Vindman, the NSC whistleblower running for the Democratic nomination for Florida's junior Senate seat, significantly outpaced incumbent Republican Ashley Moody in fundraising. Vindman raised over $8 million during those three months, while Moody raised only $3 million for the first quarter, according to campaign finance reports released this week.
Vindman was serving on the National Security Council in 2019 when President Trump pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to investigate Joe Biden. Vindman and his brother Eugene reported concerns that led to investigations ahead of Trump's 2020 loss to Joe Biden. Eugene Vindman was an attorney on the National Security Council at the time and was elected to Congress in Virginia last year.
Vindman served 21 years in the Army and was wounded by an IED while serving in Iraq. He entered the race with a high profile from the impeachment hearing, which helped him raise $1.7 million in the first 24 hours after launching his campaign, largely from small donors, many of whom were from outside of Florida.
Moody was Florida's Attorney General when she was tapped by Gov. Ron DeSantis to fill the Senate seat vacated when Marco Rubio became Secretary of State for the second Trump administration. She jumped out to a quick lead and has raised $10.4 million since she filed to run last January.
Vindman’s campaign cited the tens of thousands of small-dollar donors that have contributed, contrasting his support with the corporate-laden donations directed at Moody.
"Today’s fundraising numbers prove that our campaign is being fueled by grassroots supporters who are fed up with the rampant corruption in D.C., and rising costs," Vindman said in a statement following the report. "While Moody’s campaign is bankrolled by the political elite."
Polling shows Moody holding a slight lead within the margin of error. Republicans have a solid lead of more than 1.5 million registered voters statewide. However, President Trump's low approval rating has independents moving toward Democrats at nearly a 2-1 split.
Republicans currently hold the Senate by a 53 to 47 margin, and because of which seats were up in 2026, a Democratic takeover had seemed highly unlikely going into the year. However, with Democrats vastly outperforming 2024 numbers in a spate of special elections over the past several months, the DNC now sees regaining the Senate for the first time since 2021 as a possibility. Given the support pouring in for Vindman, many Dems clearly feel Florida's race could be in play.
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lib224
Dismantling Trump's autocracy one senator at a time. Vindman!
Sunday, April 19 Report this
rjckeuka4
Fantastic news. Moody is a "tool."
Sunday, April 19 Report this
graumli22
Once again, out of state donors using their pocketbook to influence another state's elections. One look at what's happening in VA theses days will tell you all you need to know. Stay the course, Florida!
Sunday, April 19 Report this
Charles
Great! Vindman appeals to all who are sick of the corruption and want someone who represents those who elected them. Voters need to assure that Vindman is on the ballot and will be able to overcome the opposition.
Sunday, April 19 Report this