TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida educator and former school board member Jennifer Jenkins is officially running for the U.S. Senate, launching a campaign focused on affordability, education, and what she calls protecting "fundamental freedoms."
"Well, I am going to be announcing a run for the United States Senate,” Jenkins confirmed in an interview this week. "It feels really empowering, and honestly, I'm inspired to do it… I really believe that the United States Senate is where the most important decisions are being made for my future, for my daughter's future."
If Jenkins wins the Democratic primary, she will face Sen. Ashley Moody, the former Florida GOP Attorney General who was appointed to the seat by Gov. Ron DeSantis after Marco Rubio joined the Trump administration as Secretary of State in its second term.
Jenkins said she sees the race as a battle between a candidate with working-class roots and one backed by political insiders.
"Ashley Moody was handed this U.S. Senate seat," Jenkins argued. "So far, she has been a rubber stamp for the Trump administration. She has stripped away healthcare for 1.4 million Floridians… she doesn’t represent everyday people, and we need a fighter who's gonna do that."
Focus on Affordability
Jenkins said her top issue will be Florida's affordability crisis. She described herself as someone who has lived paycheck to paycheck, even working two jobs while raising a family.
“I know what it’s like to hustle, and what it’s like to try and make ends meet," Jenkins said. "We've got a property insurance crisis, our groceries are continuing to rise, our utilities are continuing to rise, so we really need somebody who's going to focus on tackling that affordability crisis."
She tied that to her own recent struggles: "Literally last week, I had to replace my air conditioning unit in my home, and my husband and I had to figure out a way we’re going to be able to pull that off, because that’s such a huge expense for us."
Standing Up to Extremism
Jenkins built her political profile in Brevard County, where she ousted a Republican school board incumbent in 2020 and frequently clashed with Moms for Liberty. Her campaign launch video highlights protests outside her home, vandalism, and threats her family faced while she pushed back on what she calls “extremism.”
"When extremists came after me and targeted my family, I refused to back down," Jenkins said in the ad.
She also pledged to champion abortion rights, public education, and health care.
"I'm going to be a fighter for our fundamental freedoms. I'm going to stand up for our freedom of speech, for honest education in our classrooms, and for abortion access, safe and healthy abortion access," she told Capitol Reporter Forrest Saunders.
An Uphill Battle Against Moody
Jenkins enters the race as a potential underdog in a state that has shifted sharply Republican in recent years. The Florida GOP now touts a 1.35 million active voter registration lead over Democrats — the largest advantage in modern state history.
Moody, meanwhile, is backed by Donald Trump, who endorsed her in a lengthy July statement.
"Sen. Ashley Moody is doing a tremendous job representing the incredible people of Florida, a state I love, and WON BIG, in 2016, 2020, and 2024!” Trump wrote. “Ashley has my Complete and Total Endorsement — SHE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN!”
The president praised Moody as a "very distinguished and well-respected U.S. Senator" who is "working tirelessly to Grow our Economy, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A."
Path Ahead
Jenkins acknowledged the challenges Democrats face in regaining their political relevance but insisted she can build a coalition.
"We need a statewide Democratic candidate who is going to energize our Democratic base, but we’re going to expand that coalition," Jenkins said. "We're going to win back independent voters, and we're going to take some of those Republicans who are sick and tired of the chaos."
Her campaign is positioning itself as a grassroots movement, leaning on small-dollar donations and volunteers. She predicted support not just from Floridians, but all across the country.
And beyond policy, Jenkins, who is 38, felt the race was as much about generational change as it was political ideology.
"If we want to see a difference and we want to make a change, we have to have different people at the table," she said.
