Florida Democrats Choose a Familiar Name as New Leader

Political parties.Photo byKelly SikkemaonUnsplash

The Democratic Party has not had the greatest run lately in the Sunshine State. After losing back-to-back presidential contests in 2016 and 2020, the party fared even worse in 2022, when Governor DeSantis won his reelection campaign by the largest margin seen in the state in twenty years. The party also gave up an additional four seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, with Republicans now holding a 20-8 majority in such contests.

In the wake of those results, the existing party chair Manny Diaz resigned from the post - effective immediately - in January of 2023, triggering an election for new leadership in the state party. Those results were announced this week, with Nikki Fried becoming the new Chair of the Florida Democratic Party effective February 25th.

Fried, a Miami native educated at the University of Florida, was previously the Commissioner of Agriculture for the state between 2019 and 2023. Prior to her service in that role, Fried practiced law for a private practice in South Florida as well as heading the Public Defender's Office in Alachua County, representing defendants who lacked sufficient funds for private representation.

Fried will inherit a party apparatus that has failed in nearly every statewide election for the past eight years, with the exception of her own campaign in 2018. While Chair positions are often seen as a springboard to higher office in other states, Florida Democrats have had no such luck. The last three party chairs - Manny Diaz, Terrie Rizzo, and Stephen Bittel - hold no elected office presently. Rizzo and Diaz both resigned positions following electoral defeats, while Bittel stepped down after accusations of inappropriate conduct between himself and junior staff were made public.

What approach Friend will take to managing the party remains to be seen. Previous leaders have focused on increasing turnout, improving voter registration, or building grassroots donor networks, all to no avail.

Republican Marco Rubio beat Democratic hopeful Val Demmings by a 58-42 margin for Senate in 2022, one of the largest margins for such a contest in several years. Results were even worse in the Governor's Race, where Republicans won in nearly every county, including traditional Democratic strongholds in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties. Most political analysts agree that if Democrats cannot hold Miami-Dade county, there is no path to statewide victory for the party.

Miami Beach, FL.Photo byRyan SpenceronUnsplash

It is against that backdrop that Nikki Fried takes over a struggling party in Florida, and with very little help from national trends, either. President Biden's approval rating currently stands at 41% according to Gallup polling. While that figure is largely in-line with Trump's approval during the same time period, it is historically low for any sitting President. In order for the state party to gain ground in Florida, it may need to break ranks with its national counterparts to be seen as palatable in a state that leans increasingly toward the Republican side of the spectrum.

Those interested in reading the full bio of the new Party Chair or reviewing the information provided in this article can click on any of the links above.