Moody vs. Nixon: Two Women Fighting for Florida's U.S. Senate Seat

This November, Florida voters will choose who fills an important seat in the United States Senate. The race is between Republican Sen. Ashley Moody and Democratic State Rep. Angie Nixon. Whoever wins will make history — she will become only the second woman ever elected to the U.S. Senate from Florida. The seat was once held by Marco Rubio, who left to become Secretary of State.

Moody currently holds the Senate seat because she was appointed — not elected — after Rubio left. Before that, she served as Florida's Attorney General, which is the state's top law enforcement job. She did not win the seat in a public vote, which is part of why this election matters so much. Now she has to earn it by winning in November.

Nixon earned her spot in the race by winning the Democratic primary on August 18. She beat Alex Vindman, even though his campaign had far more money. Nixon told her supporters that night, 'We were outspent 16-to-1, and we won.' That surprise victory showed she had strong support from everyday voters.

Nixon says she is running because she wants to fight corruption and put people before big corporations. She believes Washington, D.C. has serious problems that need to be fixed. 'We need to elect someone who actually cares about people and will put people over profits and corporations,' she said. She also talks a lot about the high cost of living and medical bills.

One big issue Nixon raises is medical debt. She points out that many Americans go bankrupt just because they got sick and couldn't pay their doctor bills. 'Right now, the leading cause of bankruptcy is medical debt,' she said. She wants the government to do more to help people afford health care.

Moody has focused on different issues during her campaign. She says she has worked to keep more money in people's pockets through things like no taxes on tips and no taxes on Social Security payments. She also supports child investment accounts for every baby born in the United States. 'I've been delivering wins for you, for the people,' she told supporters.

Moody has also made transgender athletes in sports a key part of her campaign. She says parents are concerned about girls having to compete against athletes who were born male. This is a hot-button issue that many Republicans across the country have been pushing. It's one of the ways Moody is trying to draw a clear line between herself and Nixon.

However, Moody is also facing a serious controversy. A grand jury — a group of citizens who review evidence — looked into something called the Hope Florida scandal. The jury's report said that when Moody was Attorney General, she knew about a plan to send $10 million meant to help poor children get health insurance to political groups instead. That is a very serious accusation.

Moody responded to the scandal with a statement saying her office 'had no knowledge of how funds would be spent.' CBS News Miami tried many times to interview Moody directly, but she did not respond to those requests. Nixon has used the scandal to argue that Moody cannot be trusted. The controversy could affect how voters feel about Moody on Election Day.

Polls — surveys that ask people who they plan to vote for — show a mixed picture. Some polls show Moody with a big lead, while others show the race is very close. No one knows for sure who will win. What is certain is that Florida is about to make history, because no matter who wins, a woman will hold that Senate seat.