It was a privilege to attend the Be Bold, Vote Blue event in Jacksonville with Duval DEC Chair Daniel Henry and his exceptional team, where I met with remarkable candidates and activists who are working tirelessly to elect Democrats!
I also had the opportunity to participate in the Democratic County Chairs Association meeting, where I updated DEC Chairs from across the state about our ongoing transition and shaping our goals for FDP moving forward. Congratulations to Ione Townsend on her re-election as DCCA Chair and to all of our new DCCA officers. I am eager to collaborate with all DEC officers to create a party that can compete and win in all 67 counties!
Congratulations are also in order to John Capece as the new Enviromental Caucus President and a huge thank you to Russ Conn for leading the caucus for the past few years.
Please be sure to send updated officer contact information to the Party Affairs office at partyaffairs@floridadems.org.
Forward,
Nikki Fried
Chair
Florida Democratic Party
From the Campaign Trail
On Monday, I was joined by proud Duval Democrats and candidates running for local municipal offices. The momentum I am seeing on the ground for our Democratic candidates is inspiring. We have already won dozens of municipal races this year from all across our state.
Last Thursday, I had the honor of attending the Broward Senior Caucus to witness the induction of their new officers. Given the current Republican attempts to undermine Medicare and Social Security, I am confident that our Senior Caucus will continue to vigorously advocate for the well-being of Florida’s seniors who rely on these vital programs. Moreover, they will also strive to safeguard the future of millions of Floridians who have contributed to these programs and deserve to receive their benefits in due time.
GOTV Call to Action
As we approach election day in Jacksonville, we need all hands on deck to maintain our momentum and ensure a Democratic majority in Duval. Use the link below to call voters in Jacksonville about their elections on Tuesday, March 21. Let’s turn Duval Blue!
Chair’s Appointments
I am thrilled to announce the appointment of these individuals to Committee on Clubs, Organizations, and Caucuses. Their work will be crucial during the certification year and I look forward to working with each member to welcome new and returning organizations! I would like to express my gratitude in advance to everyone on the committee for their commitment and hard work over the next few months.
Chair Jill Lewis-Daggs, Okaloosa
Vice Chair Russell Conn, Hillsborough
Members:
Joyce Blake, Marion
Grace Carrington, Broward
Maria Cole, Palm Beach
Dawn Curtis, Orange
Francine Garcia, Lake
Danny Fuqua, Volusia
Irene Keim, Hernando
Lillian Lockette, Lake
Deborah McGinn-Tytler, Highlands
Laurie Plotnick, Broward
Cesar Ramirez, Polk
Karen Rodriguez, Osceola
Jane Schlechtweg, Collier
Derrick Scott, Escambia
Susan Smith, Hillsborough
Sandra Smith, Santa Rosa
Millie Smith, St. Johns
Ellen Teller, Flagler
Teresa Wells, Leon
Marian Williams, Seminole
Karen Welzel, Polk
Legislative Member Highlights
As we begin the second week of the Florida Legislative Session, our Democratic members in the Florida House and Senate are working hard to pass legislation that can provide much-needed support to everyday working families. Unfortunately, this week has been particularly disheartening for Florida as the Republican members of the legislature have been proposing legislation that seeks to curtail individual freedoms, ranging from book bans to abortion bans, all in support of Governor DeSantis. However, despite these challenges, our Democratic legislators remain steadfast in their commitment to serving their constituents and fighting tirelessly for the freedom and well-being of all Floridians. In the following section, we have highlighted some of the bills proposed by our exceptional State Senate members that can have a positive impact on all Floridians.
SB 778: Food Insecure Areas by Sen. Rouson
Access to affordable, healthy food options, especially fresh fruit and vegetables, is restricted due in part to the absence of supermarkets located within a convenient traveling distance. SB 778 authorizes local governments to enact land development regulations to permit land use for a small-footprint grocery store located in a food insecure area. This bill aims to helps Floridians living in food insecure areas by creating access to food options.
SB 1658: Housing by Sen. Torres
The Keep Floridians Housed Act creates the Department of Housing and Tenant Rights as a new department of state government. This bill will protect renters’ rights while keeping landlords’ rights intact. To read more about the bill please click on the button above.
Upcoming Events
Don’t forget to share Party Affairs on your DEC, Club or Caucus upcoming events. If you would like to request the chair as a speaker, please use the form below to submit your request.
FDP Communications
Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried and local leaders kicked off the week in Jacksonville to mobilize voters before Tuesday’s municipal elections next week. While Ron DeSantis kicked off his shadow 2024 campaign under the auspices of a book tour across the country, we called him out for hiding in his right-wing media bubble and ducking the local press. We also highlighted DeSantis’ real “Florida blueprint” and sent out fact checks of his record, including; how his property insurance failures continue to hurt Floridians by shifting more costs to homeowners while delivering a $2 billion taxpayer-funded bailout to property insurance companies and how as a member of Congress, he was an outspoken champion for lifting regulation on small and mid-sized financial institutions like SVB and has long worked to roll back oversight regulations for mid-sized banks like SVB. And we wrapped up the week amplifying the Biden administration’s announcement that it will grant Florida an additional $2.7 billion in disaster relief for underserved communities still recovering from Hurricanes Ian and Nicole.
FDP News Digest
You can find the latest news clips covering the Florida Democratic Party below:
Jim goes one-on-one with the newly elected chair of the Florida Democratic Party.
Nikki Fried tells Jacksonville Democrats it’s ‘time for us to start winning’
Nikki Fried critiques Cabinet process for Insurance Commissioner pick
Five Questions for Florida Democratic Party chair Nikki Fried
Her goals? Regain voter trust, inveigh against DeSantis’ ‘fascist’ agenda this legislative session.
DeSantis’ targeting of ESG could cost taxpayers, pension fund millions of dollars
