From the Chair's Desk

Dear Democrats,

As we continue to celebrate Passover and reflect on the recent Easter season, I want to take a moment to extend my warmest wishes to you and your loved ones. May this time bring you renewed hope, joy, and peace. To all those who celebrate, Happy Passover and Happy Easter from me and our entire FDP Staff.

Last week, not only did the Governor sign permitless carry into law, but the state senate moved forward an extreme abortion ban. While we continue to be disappointed in our state’s leadership, the Republican attack on women’s rights has sparked a fire in the hearts of many Floridians and we are grateful for every single one of you who stands with us in this fight. Let us continue to fight for what we believe in and stand up for the values that make us who we are as Democrats.

Now, more than ever, we need to take action. Our DECs, Clubs, and Caucuses must be out in the field, knocking on doors, and making calls to our neighbors. If we are to win in 2024 and beyond, we must register new voters and sign-up Democrats for Vote by Mail. It’s time to have meaningful conversations with our communities about what’s going on in Tallahassee and encourage them to register to vote and get involved. We cannot sit idly by and allow 20 years of one-party Republican rule to continue digging us deeper into this mess. It’s time for Democrats to take the reins and pave the way towards a better future. Let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work, together.

Forward,

Nikki Fried
Chair
Florida Democratic Party

Chair’s Travels

On Monday, Occupy Tally arrived at the state capitol to protest the extreme abortion bill moving through the state legislature. SB 300 is essentially an outright ban on abortion, since many women do not know they’re pregnant at six weeks.

I was proud to join the organizers, alongside Senate Minority Leader Lauren Book, in their peaceful protest at city hall. After our arrests, I joined organizers again for a press conference in Tallahassee.

The Florida Democratic Party will always stand strong against attacks on the rights of all Floridians, including a woman’s right to choose.

Vote-by-Mail

As we approach municipal elections and draw closer to the 2024 campaign cycle, it is crucial that we prioritize the collection of Vote-by-Mail applications. Republican voter suppression tactics have resulted in the disenfranchisement of Floridians who would have otherwise been eligible to receive a Vote by Mail ballot.

Now that VBM rolls have been cleared, I urge each DEC, club and caucus to commit time every week to making phone calls, canvassing, and texting fellow Democrats to encourage them to reenroll in Vote-by-Mail. Want to share your VBM program with other DECs and Caucuses?

Email partyaffairs@floridadems.org.

Voters can check their Vote by Mail status on our website here.

Call to Action – Duval Elections

We need all hands on deck for the upcoming runoff elections in Duval county. Recently, we have seen just how close local elections can be – with some of our Dems winning with margins as slim as 4 votes! Duval Dems have candidates running for 8 positions at both the county and city level, and we need to turn out every voter to ensure victory on May 16.

If you are in Duval, please sign up for an in person GOTV shift with Duval DEC. To our DECs, Clubs and Caucuses outside of Duval – please make time to help our Duval candidates reach every voter by joining a remote GOTV event.

More information on the races and candidates in Duval can be found here. See below for additional upcoming local elections.

Municipal Elections

Democrats have been banking local victories around the state. Last Tuesday, Victor Vazquez was elected to Miami Springs Commission by a 20 vote margin. In Levy county, Virginia Philips and Franklin Schuler, Jr. were elected to the Town Council in Bronson. In Palm Beach County, Boynton Beach Commissioner Woodrow Hay outpaced his opponent by just 4 votes during Boynton Beach’s District 2 runoff on March 28th.

Thank you to the DECs in each of these counties who played an important role in making sure our Democrats turned out to vote! Every Vote Counts!

Municipal Elections Upcoming:

April 11

New Port Richey

City of Port Richey

City San Antonio

Town of St. Leo

City of Zephyrhills

City of Alachua

Newberry

Miami Shores

Coral Gables

Orange Park

Town of Grand Ridge

City of Sneads

April 18

Lynn Haven

Mexico Beach

Panama City

April 25

Tampa

City of Quincy

City of Midway

Town of Havana

Town of Greensboro

Call to Action – Abortion Ban

Calling on all supporters of freedom to join the #OccupyTally movement protesting the abortion ban soon to be passed in Florida’s legislature. Florida NOW has acquired a permit to demostrate at the Leon County Courthouse across from the state capitol, beginning Monday April 10th through Friday evening April 14th.

The near total ban on abortion (HB 7/SB 300) is expected to be heard Thursday on the house floor, and could be voted on the same day or Friday. Please email awakeandorganized@gmail.com if you need support to join.

The world watching us now, it’s time to show them we’re not leaving without our reproductive rights.

Get more information, donate or register today at linktr.ee/OccupyTally

Annual DEC Compliance – PAST DUE

A huge thank you to all the counties that have submitted their required compliance documents to the Office of Party Affairs. If your county has not submitted their required compliance documents, please send them ASAP to partyaffairs@floridadems.org. These documents are required by State Law and FDP Charter and Bylaws.

Below is a list of due dates for the of the compliance documents to be submitted to FDP. Again, these documents are past due if you have not sent them to Party Affairs. Please email partyaffairs@floridadems.org if you have any questions.

April 10, 2023; July 10, 2023; October 10, 2023; and January 10, 2024; and the Friday immediately proceeding each election: Financial reports of all contributions received, including in-kind contributions, and all expenditures made during the previous quarter. Please contact your SOE to inquire about your county’s specific submission process.

New Logo

Help us find our new logo! FDP is now accepting design submissions for our new logo. To enter, submit a design to logo@floridadems.org with subject line “New Logo Submission.”

Chair’s Challenge

Competing and winning demand resources, and I am proud to announce the launch of our Chair’s Challenge. You can join the chair’s monthly challenge by becoming a recurring donor to FDP. Every time I speak with a group, I urge Democrats from Florida and across the country to donate a small amount each month. With just $5 a month, you can help fund our party infrastructure, focus on long-term mobilization efforts, and revitalize our grassroots movement.

Click Here to Join the Challenge!

Talking Points

Biden-Harris Investing in America Fact Sheet

Unleashing Private Investment in FL
Rebuilding Florida’s Infrastructure
Getting Florida Back to Work and Supporting Florida’s Small Businesses
Creating Clean-Energy Jobs and Combatting the Climate Crisis
Lowering Costs for Florida Families

View Fact Sheet

Caucus Events:

If your Caucus is having an event and you would like shared to our members, please email a flyer to partyaffairs@floridadems.org.

FDP Staff

FDP is hiring an Executive Director, Finance Director, Communications Director, and Voter File Manager. Job descriptions and applications can be found here. We also have a resume bank open for those interested in other positions once they become available.

Communicatiuons Update

This week, FDP Chair Nikki Fried and Minority Leader Lauren Book and abortion rights activists were arrested for peacefully protesting Gov. DeSantis and Florida Republican legislators’ push to pass a six-week abortion ban. After her release, Chair Fried spoke with various media outlets, highlighting how the proposed abortion ban will affect millions of women in Florida in interviews throughout the week, including in the Washington Post, Orlando Sentinel, and the Tallahassee Democrat. After Ron DeSantis signed a permitless carry bill behind closed doors with members of the NRA standing beside him, Chair Fried held a press call with gun violence prevention advocates, including Debbie Mucarsel-Powell and David Hogg. And throughout the week, we continued to slam DeSantis for his highly unpopular extreme agenda, including the six-week abortion ban, the permitless carry bill, a proposal to raise costs on working-class Floridians in his ongoing war with Disney, and his failure to expand Medicaid in the state.

FDP News Digest

You can find the latest news clips covering the Florida Democratic Party and Legislative Session below:

Poll: Floridians across the political spectrum favor Medicaid expansion

Consumers displaced, living in tents while 143,396 of Ian insurance claims still ‘open and pending’

DeSantis draws second ethics complaint over presidential ramp-up

Nikki Fried among dozens arrested while protesting Florida abortion ban

Nikki Fried, Senate leader Book released from jail after abortion protest arrest

Religious leaders fear Florida bill could make it a crime to take immigrants to church

Tennessee House Republicans expel two Democrats, keep one, over gun floor protests

Can I vote by mail? What to know about possible election changes

More Florida elections changes could be coming that affect mail voting, IDs

Late-filed election-law revision would add yet more barriers to the right to vote