Alex Vindman Announces Democratic Senate Run in Florida

Retired Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman announced on Tuesday that he is running as a Democrat for the U.S. Senate in Florida and will challenge Republican Sen. Ashley Moody in the Nov. 2026 special election, according to his campaign video.

Vindman's candidacy follows his 2019 National Security Council testimony that helped trigger President Donald Trump's first impeachment and his subsequent ouster from the NSC, a history he highlighted in the announcement video that included footage of the Jan. 2025 killings of two U.S. citizens during a deportation campaign.

Democratic operatives described Vindman as the most prominent recruit in the Florida Senate contest, while the Ashley Moody campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment and campaign filings show Vindman will first face an Aug. 18, 2026 Democratic primary.

Florida has not elected a Democratic U.S. senator since 2012 and official results show Donald Trump carried Florida by 13 points in the Nov. 2024 election, making the race a steep climb in a state rated solid or safe Republican by several nonpartisan handicappers.

Vindman said in the video he was stepping up to "put a check on Donald Trump" and pledged to focus on affordability and opposition to immigration enforcement tactics, and his campaign plans to emphasize fundraising and national attention ahead of the Aug. 18 primary.