Republican U.S. Senator Ashley Moody left reporters with more questions than answers at a Pinellas campaign stop Monday.
Moody and U.S. Representative Anna Paulina Luna held a campaign rally at The Original Crabby Bill’s restaurant in Indian Rocks Beach, addressing a mostly white, elderly crowd of around 100 people.
It’s the kind of audience typical for Moody; she avoids larger rallies and sticks with “safe” media appearances like small stops and Fox News interviews, according to an August report from Politico.
Unlike most senators, Moody—Florida’s former attorney general who was appointed to the position by Gov. Ron DeSantis—avoids answering questions in the halls of the Capitol Building. That means tiny campaign events like Monday’s are one of the only ways for reporters to ask questions about her position on important issues.
Creative Loafing Tampa Bay asked Monday how Moody responds to critics who say that she avoids questions from the press.
“That is hogwash,” Moody replied. “I have been all over this state talking to the media, talking to you right now.”
Moody then said she’s been trying to get the media to talk about how different she is from Democratic opponent Angie Nixon, who she said is a radical socialist. “And I’ll keep talking to the media and answering these questions so I can make sure every Floridian knows just that,” she added.
Moody’s team then immediately ushered her away while CL asked a question about Flock cameras. Her security detail physically blocked this reporter from following her as she left.
Moody and Luna spoke to reporters for under six minutes.
Republican political operatives told Politico that Moody’s media-averse approach might hurt down-ballot races. Other critics said it creates an appearance of avoiding accountability, prompting Florida Democrats to adopt the slogan, “Where is Ashley Moody?”
Moody also recently walked away from CBS4 Miami reporter Jim DeFede when he asked her about the Hope Florida scandal after taking no questions at a press conference.
Flock questions came after Luna said she wants to protect civil liberties
Moody has not publicly taken a stance on Flock cameras or other automated license plate readers, despite the tech drawing widespread bipartisan criticism for abuse and 4th Amendment concerns.
Moody is married to Justin Duralia, deputy chief at the Plant City Police Department. Duralia was sworn in to that role by the city commission minutes before the commission approved a contract with Flock at its July 8, 2024 meeting.
The question about Flock cameras came after Luna evoked the police surveillance tech in an unprompted detour during her own speech while she was comparing “moderates” to authoritarian rulers.
“That is the same rhetoric that happened, actually, in Communist China,” Luna said of gun control and transgender rights. “You know, we can talk separately about the Flock cameras and all that, but let me just tell you first and foremost, we are fighting every single day for your guys’ civil liberties.”
In their speeches, Luna and Moody both touted Florida’s reputation as “the Free State of Florida.”
A Pinellas County deputy was recently arrested for allegedly using a Flock camera database to search for a love interest. Pinellas Sheriff Bob Gualtieri—who is leading a nationwide pro-ALPR campaign—said the agency’s audit process failed, and that a media inquiry from TCPalm reporter Jack Lemnus prompted the investigation.
Luna said in July that she was working on legislation to ban Flock cameras. That legislation hasn’t appeared yet.
Moody’s team didn’t respond to a follow-up email asking about her position on Flock cameras.
Independent candidate Neil Gillespie hasn’t publicly taken a stance on the tech either.
Moody still won’t debate Nixon
Last week, Nixon called for Moody to be jailed over her alleged role in the Hope Florida scandal.
A leaked grand jury report accused the state of buying political ads with $10 million in money that was supposed to help disabled Floridians through the Hope Florida charity.
The Republican Party of Florida has threatened criminal prosecution of news outlets that mention the grand jury report, according to an investigation by the Florida Trident.
At Monday’s campaign rally, Luna told the crowd Nixon—who appeared before 2,000 supporters last weekend despite constant rainfall—was afraid to debate Moody.
“We’re not going to tolerate candidates that are going to call to jail a sitting senator because you don’t like that you can’t debate on actual ideas because your argument doesn’t win the debates,” Luna said.
But Moody has refused Nixon’s calls for a debate. CL asked Moody if, given Luna’s comments, she would consider debating Nixon now.
Moody said no.
“Listen, I am running against a person [who], when given a microphone, recites the communist manifesto and cop killers,” Moody told CL. “I will not give that a stage, I will not give that any attention, and I will certainly not lend any credence to that.”
Luna went back on her comments, saying Nixon promotes political violence that is dangerous to Moody and “puts a target on her back.” She said that someone had been arrested for threatening to behead anyone who didn’t support Angie Nixon.
She was referring to Elijah Manley, a former congressional candidate who was arrested after he posted on Facebook that Democratic candidates who don’t support Nixon will face consequences. Manley later said he was speaking figuratively and that his words were protected political speech.
During the press gaggle, Moody and Luna briefly addressed affordability, saying they’d support tax cuts. Luna criticized Democrats for voting against congressional stock trading, but Moody has disclosed major gains from trading stocks as a senator.
Moody did not respond to further questions for this article.
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This article appears in Oct. 15 – 21, 2026.
