Nixon reported more cash on hand than Moody at the end of September; outside groups have reported millions on both sides

Democrat Angie Nixon’s campaign reported $4,113,083 in cash on hand on Sept. 30, 2026, and Republican Sen. Ashley Moody’s campaign reported $2,820,080, according to Federal Election Commission summaries of their reports through that date.¹² Outside groups spending on their own have reported millions more. The largest, Stronger Safer Nation, reported $8,974,309 in spending against Nixon dated Sept. 17 through Oct. 15, in filings the FEC received through Oct. 18.³

Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Moody, then the state’s attorney general, to the seat Marco Rubio left to become secretary of state, and she was sworn in on Jan. 21, 2025, the Florida Phoenix reported. The seat is on the ballot in a special election this year.⁴ Three candidates are certified for the Nov. 3 ballot: Moody, Nixon and Neil J. Gillespie, who has no party affiliation, according to the Department of State certification signed by Secretary of State Cord Byrd on Aug. 28, 2026.⁵

Nixon defeated Alex Vindman in the Aug. 18 Democratic primary, the Florida Phoenix reported.⁶ She has centered her campaign on Hope Florida and affordability, while Moody has focused on Nixon’s ties to the Democratic Socialists of America, the Florida Phoenix reported on Oct. 19, the day early voting opened in 34 of Florida’s 67 counties.⁷

Campaign money, by candidate

The FEC totals below cover each candidate’s authorized campaign committees and run through Sept. 30, the end of the third quarter. Amounts are rounded to the dollar. All three campaigns reported no debts.⁸²¹

• Neil J. Gillespie (no party affiliation; the FEC lists him as Gilespie, Neil Joseph), committee Neil J Gillespie for US Senate, April 1 through Sept. 30, 2026: raised $13,213; spent $12,313; cash on hand $900. Of the money raised, $8,000 came from individuals, $3,623 from the candidate and $0 from PACs or other committees.⁸
• Ashley Moody (Republican), committees Moody for Florida and Moody for FL Senate Republican Nominee Fund 2026, Jan. 13, 2025 through Sept. 30, 2026: raised $13,338,185; spent $10,518,106; cash on hand $2,820,080. Of the money raised, $6,450,625 came from individuals, $2,361,500 from PACs and other non-party committees, $62,000 from party committees, $0 from the candidate and $4,396,833 in transfers from other authorized committees.²
• Angie Nixon (Democrat), committee Angie for Florida, Jan. 1, 2025 through Sept. 30, 2026: raised $8,177,944; spent $4,052,942; cash on hand $4,113,083. Of the money raised, $8,024,794 came from individuals, $153,150 from PACs and other non-party committees, $0 from party committees and $0 from the candidate.¹

Outside spending

Groups that spend independently of a campaign report those independent expenditures to the FEC separately. SignalData totaled the FEC’s 2026 independent expenditure file for this race, replacing amended filings with their amendments. The largest amounts, by the date the spending was reported made:³

• Stronger Safer Nation: $8,974,309 against Nixon (Sept. 17 through Oct. 15) and $2,459,981 for Moody (Sept. 30 through Oct. 15).
• New Deal for All, Inc.: $3,096,631 against Moody (Oct. 14 through Oct. 16).
• AB PAC: $2,504,647 for Nixon (Oct. 5).

Every other group in the file reported less than $300,000 for or against either candidate; the next largest was SLF PAC, at $280,000 for Moody. The file shows no independent expenditures for or against Gillespie.³

What the records do not show

• The FEC summaries checked Oct. 20 do not yet include any spending or fundraising after Sept. 30.
• The candidate summaries do not say which committees sent the $4,396,833 in transfers counted in Moody’s receipts.
• The independent expenditure file shows what outside groups spent, not who gave those groups their money.
• Outside groups can amend these filings, and spending on ads that do not expressly call for a candidate’s election or defeat is not reported as independent expenditures.