Some local Dems say there needs to be change in Miami-Dade, too
Former Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Commissioner Nikki Fried, who lost the Democratic gubernatorial primary last year, announced Monday that she wants to try “something new” — and is running to be the next chair of the Florida Democratic Party.
That pits her against former Sen. Annette Taddeo, who lost her bid for congress last year, in an race to reform and rejuvenate a party that has seen major political losses and division. Fried and Taddeo, who announced her run for the FDP chair about four weeks ago, competed briefly last year in the gubernatorial primary before Taddeo shifted to the congressional race in District 27.
Agriculture Commissioner and gubernatorial candidate Nikki Fried, the only statewide elected Democrat, has seized on to what some predict will be a wedge issue in this competitive election: Affordable housing and skyrocketing rental rates.
Fried is promoting her first real policy plan called “Lower Costs, Higher Standards,” with a statewide tour of six cities that stopped in the capital on Wednesday and goes to Pensacola on Thursday.
Florida Congressman Charlie Crist (D-St. Petersburgh), a turncoat who served as a Republican governor from 2007 to 2011, and Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Nikki Fried — the only statewide elected Democrat in the current administration — are leading the race for campaign contributions in the Democratic primary for governor, leaving Sen. Annette Taddeo in the dust.
Granted, Taddeo jumped into the contest in October, later than the other two (although she may have been asking for money already). But her presence hasn’t seemed to slow them down.
When Congressman Charlie Crist‘s campaign looked for women to back him in next year’s governor’s race against two viable female candidates, they turned to a small group of relatively unknown women — led by his two sisters.
Well, at least his siblings support him!
Just two weeks after, finally, announcing she would run for Florida Governor next year, State Sen. Annette Taddeo has already amassed more than $650,000 in contributions between her campaign account and her political action committee.
This isn’t reflected yet on the Florida Division of Elections page, but her political consultant, Christian Ulvert, said it would be in the October report that is to be filed Wednesday.
