ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody didn't face Republican challengers in this year's primary election. But there is one Democratic candidate who will get the chance to unseat her in November.
Aramis Ayala has won the Democratic nomination for Florida attorney general, beating candidates Jim Lewis and Daniel Uhlfelder, unofficial results show.
Ayala became the first Black state attorney in Florida when she was elected in 2016. She held the position until 2021.
"I am ready to take the fight to the lobbyists, special interests and politicians in a corrupt system that have made us think that the power is theirs," she said in a campaign video. "It's not and never will be."
The former Orlando-area state attorney received national attention for refusing to seek the death penalty in murder cases, saying it had been unevenly applied and wasn't a deterrent for serious crime. Her position on capital punishment lead dozens of cases to be reassigned to another state attorney.
During her time as state attorney, Ayala pushed for civil citations instead of punishment for non-violent first-time juvenile offenders, a coalition for domestic and child abuse, and created a low-income bail fund, WKMG-TV reports.
Ayala has said she plans to continue these initiatives if elected attorney general.