Former Brevard County School Board member Jennifer Jenkins has announced that she is running for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate. Jenkins, arguably becomes the most recognizable Democrat in the race as she looks to defeat Republican Ashley Moody for the seat next fall.
"We've let MAGA extremists and out-of-touch billionaires take over our country, and while we fight for the minimum to get by, our senator, Ashley Moody, got handed a US Senate seat knowing she'll do exactly what Trump, DeSantis, and the billionaires tell her to do," Jenkins warned. "Ashley Moody doesn't know what it's like to struggle paying for food, housing, healthcare, and daycare, but I do, and that's why I'm running for the United States Senate."
Jenkins is most recently known for defeating Brevard County School Board member Tina Descovich, a DeSantis ally and founder of Moms for Liberty, in a 2020 board seat election.
"When the school board wasn't delivering, I decided to run myself, and despite the odds, I won a county that Trump won by double digits," Jenkins said.
President Donald Trump won Brevard County with nearly 60% of the vote over Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024.
Will Jenkins have that same crossover appeal against the Trump-endorsed Moody?
Recent history suggests she won't, but Jenkins could be looking to tap into her time as an educator to defeat Moody, who DeSantis appointed to the U.S. Senate in January to replace Republican Marco Rubio.
In her announcement video, Jenkins is seen delivering groceries as a second job to make ends meet, an attempt to appeal to voters facing rising food prices.
In 2024, Republican incumbent Rick Scott defeated Democratic challenger Debbie Mucarsel-Powell by nearly 13 points in his U.S. Senate race. Two years prior, Rubio defeated Democrat Val Demings by over 16 points for his seat.
The U.S. Senate special election is set for Nov. 3, 2026.
