Democratic politician Josh Weil has exited the race for U.S. Senate in Florida, citing health concerns in an announcement made last week. The Central Florida educator waged a short-lived campaign against Ashley Moody, the senator appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis after Marco Rubio was made Donald Trump’s Secretary of State.
Weil rose to prominence when he ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in Florida’s 6th congressional district this year. He faced Republican Randy Fine in a special election triggered by Michael Waltz’s appointment to a federal role. Weil lost by 14 points, but received national attention after outraising Fine several times over in a deep-red district.
Josh Weil Drops Out
“In 2021 and 2022 I was hospitalized on multiple occasions due to a condition called [rhabdomyolysis],” Weil said in his prepared statement. “In the last few weeks traveling across the state, I noticed an increase in symptoms associated with my hospitalizations. After discussion with my family, I have decided to focus on my health first and foremost.” According to The Cleveland Clinic, rhabdomyolysis involved the breakdown of muscle tissue into the bloodstream. It is life-threatening.
Weil announced his Senate bid in June, only to withdraw at the end of July. His brief entry was actually the second time he’d run for Senate. He ran a minor campaign in the 2022 election, but did not make it onto the Democratic primary ballot. Democrat Val Demings went on to lose to Rubio by 16 points in the general election.
“Florida deserves a U.S. Senator who can fight for them 100% of the time,” Weil continued. “I do not wish to hold that seat if I cannot give them that 100% that they deserve. My hope is by bowing out this early in the cycle, another staunch progressive enter the race and be successful. I trust that both my run for the special election and for Senate has demonstrated to everyday working Americans that they can make a difference by running for office in their communities.”
Nine Democrats have taken steps to run for Senate in 2026. The most significant among them are former Congressman Alan Grayson, who served Florida’s 9th district from 2009 to 2011 and again from 2013 to 2017, and 2024 FL-26 candidate Joey Atkins. Also seemingly running are Paul Cruz, Frank Dimola, Kael Dougherty, Alex Hould, Tamika Lyles, Evelyn McBride, and Dennis Stevens.
The ’26 Senate Race at a Glance
Senator Ashley Moody was once Florida Attorney General under Gov. Ron DeSantis. ⓒ State of Florida government
On the Republican side, former Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody has announced her intention to run in 2026. Her appointment in 2025 will only last until the ’26 cycle, when a special election is scheduled to fill out the final two years of the six-year term initially won by Rubio in 2022. Podcaster Jake Lang has declared he’s primarying Moody, as well as Josue Larose and Alix Toulme. Two sitting members of Congress have also publicly acknowledged their consideration of a run: Kat Cammack (FL-3) and Cory Mills (FL-7).
Moody has already received the endorsement of President Donald Trump, Senator Rick Scott, and Representatives Vern Buchanan and Laurel Lee. On the local level, she also has the stamp of approval from Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood. Existing polling indicates the seat isn’t overly likely to be flipped blue in 2026, but Democrats may have a slightly better chance against an incumbent who has yet to win a Senate election.
