TAMPA, Fla. — Republican Ashley Moody, a former judge and federal prosecutor, will become Florida's next attorney general.
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Moody, of the Tampa area, beat Sean Shaw, the son of the late Supreme Court Justice Leander Shaw.
""I am ready for this because I have been a prosecutor and a judge. Many people along the trail have called me fierce," Moody said during a winner's speech Tuesday night.
"All I ever wanted in this world was a normal mother, and I have said many times over the course of this campaign, thank goodness for my mother who set an example for me that I could do this as a mother and run a statewide campaign," she said.
Her campaign focused on battling the opioid epidemic and attacks on law enforcement, which might be why 43 of Florida's sheriffs and Bondi endorsed her.
"I will always remember that it is not about me, it is about you and ensuring that at the end of the day, I will defend the rights that ensure that you are in charge," Moody said.
Shaw, a consumer insurance lawyer, had pledged a campaign against the opioid epidemic and would have focused on gun violence, the environment, and protecting senior citizens from fraud.
"We're going to figure this out," Shaw said during a concession speech. "We're upset, and we came so close, and we're heartbroken. ... That man (Trump) is still in the White House, and our country is in danger," Shaw said.
Moody replaces Pam Bondi, who was term-limited. A Democrat hasn't held the office since 1998.
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