Florida Sen. Ashley Moody has been named a 2026 “Hero of Main Street” by the National Retail Federation. This award recognizes her legislative record on issues affecting small businesses and the broader retail sector.
Supporting Small Businesses
Moody’s work on retail-focused initiatives, including her time as Florida Attorney General, has been instrumental in supporting small businesses. In 2021, she partnered with the Florida Retail Federation to create the Florida Organized Retail Crime Exchange, a statewide database that allows law enforcement, prosecutors, and retail businesses to share incident data and coordinate investigations into organized retail theft rings.
According to industry data, the retail sector supports over 4 million local jobs in Florida, roughly 28 percent of the state’s workforce, and generates more than $94 billion in direct labor income. Nationwide, retail is the largest private-sector employer, supporting 55 million jobs and contributing $5.3 trillion annually to the U.S. gross domestic product.
Original reporting: Tampa Free Press — read the source article.
