WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Former Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried is vying to be the next chair of the Florida Democratic Party.
Fried, who unsuccessfully campaigned for the party's gubernatorial nomination, announced her candidacy Monday morning.
"My decision is not one made lightly," Fried said in a statement. "It comes after months of listening to friends, advisors and Democrats across the state. Florida Democratic Party chair was not the path I had originally envisioned for myself, but too much is at stake to sit on the sidelines – from women's rights, economic opportunity and climate change to affordable housing, protecting our democracy and education."
Fried claims she has secured endorsements from 37 voting members of the Florida Democratic Party – nearly two-thirds of the votes needed to win.
The 45-year-old Fort Lauderdale resident was the only Democrat to win a statewide race in the 2018 elections, but she had to forgo her position in her failed bid to challenge Gov. Ron DeSantis. Former Senate President Wilton Simpson, a Republican, defeated Democratic challenger Naomi Esther Blemur to become Florida's current agriculture commissioner.
Other candidates for Florida Democratic Party chair include former state Sen. Annette Taddeo, who had been a Democratic gubernatorial candidate last year before withdrawing to run for Congress instead.
The election will be held Feb. 25 in Orlando.
