Retired Army lieutenant colonel pledges to stand with Democratic nominee Angie Nixon in November fight against Republican U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (FNN NEWS) — Retired Army Lt. Col. Alex Vindman threw his support behind state Rep. Angie Nixon after losing Florida’s Democratic U.S. Senate primary, calling on his supporters to unite behind Nixon as Democrats turn their attention to the November special election against Republican U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody.

Vindman, a 21-year Army combat veteran and former White House national security official, reflected on his journey from arriving in the United States as a refugee to becoming a candidate for the U.S. Senate.

“Who would’ve ever thought that a Jewish refugee would make it to the U.S. Army, to the White House, and to becoming a candidate for the U.S. Senate,” Vindman said in his election-night statement. “Only in America is that possible.”

VINDMAN: ‘I STILL BELIEVE IN THE AMERICAN DREAM’

Vindman’s statement focused heavily on his personal story and continued belief in the opportunities available in the United States.

“I still believe in the American Dream, because I’ve lived it,” Vindman said. “It’s worth fighting for.”

Vindman and his family left the Soviet Union as refugees when he was 3 years old.

He later served 21 years in the U.S. Army, including combat service, before becoming a national security official and serving in the White House.

After his military career took him around the world, Vindman and his wife, Rachel, settled with their family in Florida.

VINDMAN ENDORSES ANGIE NIXON

Vindman quickly moved beyond the primary campaign and pledged his support to Nixon.

“Rep. Nixon ran a strong campaign,” Vindman said. “I will be standing by her side in the fight against Ashley Moody. I hope you’ll join me.”

The statement represents an immediate effort to unite Democrats following a competitive primary.

Nixon, a Jacksonville state representative known for her progressive politics and outspoken opposition to Republican policies in Tallahassee, defeated Vindman for the Democratic nomination.

DEMOCRATS TURN TOWARD NOVEMBER

Vindman’s endorsement gives Nixon an opportunity to bring his primary supporters into her general election coalition.

The challenge now shifts from a Democratic contest to a statewide battle against Moody, a former Florida attorney general who was appointed to the Senate and secured the Republican nomination in Tuesday’s primary.

The race presents Florida voters with sharply contrasting candidates and political records.

Nixon has built her reputation as a progressive legislator and grassroots activist, while Moody has been closely aligned with Florida’s Republican leadership and Gov. Ron DeSantis.

PRIMARY RIVALS UNITE AGAINST ASHLEY MOODY

Vindman’s election-night message avoided a prolonged battle over the primary result. Instead, he congratulated Nixon on running a strong campaign and immediately focused on defeating Moody.

That could prove important for Democrats as they seek to consolidate their voters after the primary and compete statewide in November.

For Vindman, the campaign ended with a message centered on the country that gave his refugee family a new beginning.

For Nixon, his endorsement marks the beginning of a different challenge: bringing together Democrats who supported competing candidates and turning an upset primary victory into a viable statewide campaign for the U.S. Senate.

Family calls for release of official autopsy findings, transparency and answers surrounding death of 18-year-old Nolan Xavier Wells

BILOXI, Miss. (FNN NEWS) — National civil rights attorney Ben Crump joined the family of Nolan Xavier Wells and prominent faith leader Dr. Jamal Bryant on Wednesday for a prayer rally marking what would have been Wells’ 19th birthday.

The gathering at Greater St. John AME Church in Biloxi honored Wells’ life while amplifying his family’s continuing demands for answers, transparency and accountability surrounding his death.

FAMILY CONTINUES FIGHT FOR ANSWERS

Rather than celebrating Nolan’s 19th birthday with him, his family gathered with community members, faith leaders and advocates to remember his life and continue their pursuit of the truth about what happened to him.

The Wells family is calling for the release of the official autopsy findings and greater transparency from state investigators.

The rally provided the family with a public platform to keep attention focused on unanswered questions surrounding Nolan’s death while seeking support from the broader community.

BEN CRUMP JOINS FAMILY’S CALL FOR TRANSPARENCY

Crump’s participation brings national attention to the family’s search for answers.

The civil rights and personal injury attorney has represented families in numerous high-profile cases involving deaths, civil rights and allegations of government or institutional misconduct.

His appearance alongside the Wells family underscored their demand that authorities provide information needed to establish a clearer account of the circumstances surrounding Nolan’s death.

The family’s requests for transparency remain allegations and demands for information; authorities’ findings should be distinguished from claims that have not yet been independently established.

DR. JAMAL BRYANT LEADS FAITH COMMUNITY IN SUPPORT

Bryant joined Crump, the Wells family and community members as the gathering combined remembrance with prayer and calls for accountability.

The prominent pastor and civil rights advocate has frequently used his national platform to address social justice issues affecting Black communities.

The Biloxi gathering brought the legal, faith and local communities together around the Wells family’s effort to obtain answers.

A 19TH BIRTHDAY MARKED BY PRAYER

The timing of the rally carried particular significance for Nolan’s family.

Wednesday would have marked his 19th birthday.

Instead, family members and supporters gathered at the church to celebrate his memory and reinforce their commitment to finding out what happened.

The rally began at 7 p.m. CDT at Greater St. John AME Church, 551 Division St. in Biloxi.

CALL FOR AUTOPSY FINDINGS AND INVESTIGATIVE TRANSPARENCY

Central to the family’s demands is the release of Nolan’s official autopsy findings.

The family also wants state investigators to provide greater transparency regarding the investigation and the circumstances surrounding his death.

Until official findings are released, significant questions surrounding the case remain unresolved.

For Nolan’s family, Wednesday night’s gathering was both a memorial and a public declaration that their search for answers will continue.

What would have been a milestone birthday instead became a call for truth, transparency and accountability.

Republican incumbent cruises through GOP primary, setting up November showdown with Democratic state Rep. Angie Nixon

By Florida National News

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody easily won Florida’s Republican nomination Tuesday in the special election for U.S. Senate, advancing to a November general election against Democratic state Rep. Angie Nixon.

Moody dominated the Republican primary with nearly 80% of the vote. Chris Gleason finished a distant second with about 14%, while Ernest Rivera and Neelam Perry each received less than 5%.

The victory allows Moody to turn her attention to November as she campaigns to retain the Senate seat she was appointed to fill after Marco Rubio left the Senate to become secretary of state.

MOODY DOMINATES REPUBLICAN PRIMARY

Unlike the upset that unfolded on the Democratic side, Moody entered Tuesday as the overwhelming favorite for the Republican nomination and delivered a decisive victory.

The Associated Press projected Moody the winner Tuesday night. Her nearly 80% share of the Republican primary vote demonstrated her strength among GOP voters heading into the general election.

The Florida Division of Elections lists Moody as the Republican incumbent and a qualified candidate for the 2026 general election.

FROM FLORIDA ATTORNEY GENERAL TO U.S. SENATE

Moody entered the Senate with a statewide political base already established.

Before joining the U.S. Senate, Moody served as Florida attorney general. Gov. Ron DeSantis selected her in January 2025 to succeed Rubio, who left the Senate after being chosen to serve as President Donald Trump’s secretary of state.

The 2026 special election will determine who serves the remainder of Rubio’s Senate term.

Moody now has something she did not have when she initially entered the Senate: the Republican nomination secured directly from Florida voters.

MOODY VS. NIXON

Tuesday produced sharply different paths to the nominations.

While Moody cruised to victory on the Republican side, Nixon delivered one of Florida’s biggest primary surprises by defeating retired Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman for the Democratic nomination.

Nixon won despite being significantly outspent by Vindman, turning the Democratic primary into a victory for the party’s progressive wing.

The results officially set up a November contest between two women with extensive experience in Florida politics: Moody, the former state attorney general and incumbent Republican senator, and Nixon, a Jacksonville state representative known for aggressively challenging DeSantis and Republican policies in Tallahassee.

SPECIAL ELECTION CARRIES NATIONAL STAKES

Florida’s Senate contest could also have implications beyond the state.

Republicans are seeking to defend their Senate majority in the 2026 midterm elections, while Democrats are searching nationwide for opportunities to gain seats.

Florida, however, has shifted toward Republicans in recent election cycles, giving Moody a significant structural advantage entering the general election. Reuters reported after the primary that Moody is favored in the matchup.

Nixon’s victory gives Democrats a nominee with a sharply different political profile and campaign strategy.

That contrast could make the race a broader test of competing political movements: Florida’s increasingly powerful Republican establishment against a progressive Democratic campaign attempting to mobilize working-class, younger and traditionally Democratic voters.

TWO VERY DIFFERENT POLITICAL RECORDS

The general election also pits two candidates whose political identities were forged on opposite sides of Florida’s major partisan battles.

As attorney general, Moody became closely associated with DeSantis and Florida’s Republican leadership before the governor appointed her to the Senate.

Nixon built much of her statewide profile by confronting that same Republican leadership from the Florida House floor.

In 2022, Nixon joined fellow Democratic lawmakers in a House floor sit-in protesting a DeSantis-backed congressional redistricting plan.

Those competing political histories now move from Tallahassee to a statewide federal contest.

NOVEMBER: ASHLEY MOODY VS. ANGIE NIXON

The Nov. 3 special election will give Florida voters the final say over who holds the Senate seat.

For Moody, the campaign is about converting an appointment into an electoral mandate and keeping the seat in Republican hands.

For Nixon, the challenge is considerably different: turning an upset Democratic primary victory into a statewide coalition capable of defeating a Republican incumbent in a state that has moved toward the GOP.

If Nixon wins, she would become Florida’s first Black U.S. senator.

Tuesday’s primaries settled the nominations.

Now Florida’s U.S. Senate special election becomes Ashley Moody vs. Angie Nixon — an incumbent Republican former attorney general against a progressive Democratic state lawmaker — with control of a Florida Senate seat at stake.