Nikki Fried Archives - The Florida Capital Star

Former Governor Candidate Arrested at Protest After Florida Senate Passes Abortion Bill

April 5, 2023April 4, 2023 The Center Square

The Florida Senate on Monday passed the Heartbeat Protection Act, which would prohibit abortions from being performed in the state after six weeks gestation. In response, protestors including state Democratic leaders were arrested after sitting on and obstructing the street outside of City Hall near the state capitol.

Randy Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, said, “Now DeSantis is arresting his opponents,” tweeting a video posted by Planned Parenthood, which claimed the protestors were engaged in “peaceful protest.”

Former Republican Governor Wins Florida Democratic Primary

August 25, 2022August 24, 2022 Florida Capital Star Staff

Former Republican governor and current Democratic Rep. Charlie Crist of Florida has defeated Democratic Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried in Florida’s Democratic gubernatorial primary, according to PBS News.

Crist won with 60.2% of the vote, as of 8 p.m. EST according to PBS, citing reporting from The Associated Press. Crist is now slated to face off as the Democratic candidate against Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, alongside a slate of minor third party and write-in candidates, in the Nov. 8 general election.

Biden and Fried Approve Tampa Christian School’s Lunch Money Application After Lawsuit

August 9, 2022August 9, 2022 Florida Capital Star Staff

The Biden administration and Florida Democratic Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried approved the lunch money application for Grant Park Christian Academy in Tampa just days after the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Christian school.

The school was being denied children’s lunch funding through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National School Lunch Program, which Fried administers. The program benefitted 56 low-income children at the Christian school by providing them with free meals.

Andrew Warren, Democrats Respond to Suspension

August 9, 2022 Grant Holcomb

Last week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) suspended State Attorney Andrew Warren of the 13th Judicial Circuit due to neglect of duty. Warren said he would not prosecute doctors and nurses who perform abortions after 15 weeks, which is a violation of state law. In response, Warren has said he will enter into a legal challenge against the state and DeSantis’ order.

Andrew Warren, Democrats Respond to Suspension

August 9, 2022August 9, 2022 Grant Holcomb

Nikki Fried Launches First TV Ad

August 3, 2022August 2, 2022 Grant Holcomb

Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried (D) launched her first television ad as she seeks the nomination for Florida’s Democrat primary. She launched the ad with the moniker “Something New,” harkening back to a phrase she has commonly used on the campaign trail and when she launched her campaign over a year ago.

Nikki Fried Launches First TV Ad

August 3, 2022 Grant Holcomb

Florida Democrats Sound Alarm over Monkeypox

August 3, 2022 Grant Holcomb

Earlier this week, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried (D) held a press conference addressing the budding monkeypox outbreak across Florida. Fried criticized Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) saying he is not doing enough on the matter, so she decided to take the issue into her own hands.

Florida Democrats Sound Alarm over Monkeypox

August 3, 2022August 2, 2022 Grant Holcomb

Florida Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Calls DeSantis ‘Creepy’

August 2, 2022August 9, 2022 Grant Holcomb

Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried (D), who is running for governor in 2022 in the Democrat primary, called Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and his fellow Florida Republicans “creepy” for opposing sexual content being taught in Florida’s public schools.

Florida Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Calls DeSantis ‘Creepy’

August 2, 2022 Grant Holcomb

Nikki Fried Announces Support of a Reparations Bill in Florida If Elected Governor

July 22, 2022July 21, 2022 Steve Stewart

During a campaign interview with hip-hop legend Luther Luke Campbell and others, Florida gubernatorial candidate Nikki Fried said, if she was elected governor, she would support reparations legislation like the bill recently adopted in California.

Stephen Johnson, 100 Black Men of South Florida Past Chair and member of the Miami-Dade Black Affairs Advisory Board, told Fried that he could not find her position on reoperations in any of her campaign materials. Johnson then asked if signing a reparations task force legislation be something she would do if she became governor of Florida.

Fried responded, “Yes, of course it would be. I think this are hard conversations to have but we have to have them.”

Fried then went on to discuss the Groveland Four, who were four young African American men falsely accused of raping 17-year-old girl and assaulting her husband on July 16, 1949, in Lake County, Florida. Fried was a member of the Florida Cabinet who joined in issuing posthumous pardons of the four men on Jan. 11, 2019.

Pro-Weed Florida Democrat Will Liquidate Cannabis Holdings After Public Scrutiny

July 17, 2022July 17, 2022 Admin

Democratic Florida gubernatorial candidate Nikki Fried, who supports marijuana legalization, said Wednesday she is in the “process of liquidating” her pot company holdings after a Daily Caller News Foundation story on the matter.

Florida Progressives Abstain from Endorsing in Democrat Primary

June 28, 2022June 28, 2022 Grant Holcomb

The Democratic Progressive Caucus of Florida has opted to not offer their endorsement for the 2022 Democrat gubernatorial primary. The two most likely candidates to achieve the party nomination are Congressman Charlie Crist (D-FL-13) and Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried (D).

The caucus said that they both feel the two candidates are better options than incumbent Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), but they maintained that the two Democrat candidates did not model a progressive candidate quite close enough.

Democrats Coalescing Around Charlie Crist

June 16, 2022June 15, 2022 Grant Holcomb

In the last week, Congressman Charlie Crist (D-FL-13) and 2022 gubernatorial hopeful received endorsements from numerous high-profile officials and groups. The string of endorsements shows a likely narrowing-down of choices in what has been a year-long battle for top dog in the 2022 gubernatorial Democrat primary.

Progressive Leader, State Rep. Anna Eskamani, Endorses U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist for Florida Governor

June 3, 2022June 2, 2022 Steve Stewart

An influential progressive politician in Florida, State Rep. Anna Eskamani, has endorsed U.S. Rep Charlie Crist in his bid for the Democratic nomination for Florida governor. Crist is in a campaign for the nomination with Florida’s current Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried and Florida State Senator Annette Taddeo.

“At Team Anna, we’re ‘working for you, and fighting for us’ — and that’s exactly who Charlie Crist is and what he does,” said Eskamani.

Eskamani, who represents House District 47 which includes part of Orlando, also noted that Crist “has gone toe-to-toe w/some of the most powerful companies in FL & joined us in opposing the anti-rooftop solar bill this past legislative session too. He’s committed to criminal legal reform, abortion access, LGBTQ+ rights, public ed, the environment & more!”

Democrat Officials Think DeSantis Might Be ‘Unstoppable’

May 4, 2022May 3, 2022 Grant Holcomb

Democrat operatives are continually showing signs that they feel they cannot win in Florida in the 2022 gubernatorial election observing that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis seems “unstoppable.” A recent report from Politico showed that Democrats in Florida and Washington, D.C. are not feeling confident, the latter determining how many resources will be sent to the Sunshine State to attempt to unseat Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).

The 12 Pivotal Primary Races of 2022

May 2, 2022May 1, 2022 Florida Capital Star Staff

As the midterm elections approach, a number of important party primary races have yet to determine a nominee.

Many of the races still don’t have a clear frontrunner, despite fast-approaching election dates and millions of dollars spent, increasing the importance of every decision made until voting begins.

Gubernatorial Hopeful Crist Calls DeSantis Supporters ‘Toothless’

April 26, 2022April 25, 2022 Grant Holcomb

In a video circulated across social media sites, Florida Congressman Charlie Crist (D-FL-13) referred to supporters of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) as “toothless.” Crist is trying to outlast other Democrat candidates for the 2022 Florida gubernatorial nomination to eventually face off against DeSantis in the November general election.

In the video, Crist is speaking at an event and said DeSantis is trying to score “political points.”

Gov. Ron DeSantis Re-Election Fundraising Tops $100 Million

April 12, 2022April 11, 2022 Grant Holcomb

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has raised more than $100 million, according to a campaign contributions report, and is the first candidate to reach the nine figure mark in the 2022 election cycle.

DeSantis has extended his lead over all of the likely opponents for the general election: Congressman Charlie Crist (D-FL-13), Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried (D), and Florida State Sen. Annette Taddeo (D-Miami).

Poll: Florida Democrats Support Limits on Teaching Sexual Orientation in Schools

March 28, 2022March 27, 2022 Steve Stewart

A new poll of Democrat voters in Florida shows that a majority of Democrats support limits on teaching sexual orientation in schools as required by the Parental Rights in Education bill.

The poll was conducted from March 17-20 for Floridians for Economic Advancement, a political committee that has supported state legislative candidates from both parties.

The poll comes amid national protests against the Parental Rights in Education bill that critics have labeled the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. The bill “prohibits a school district from encouraging classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in primary grade levels or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students.”

The main focus of the poll was the Democrat gubernatorial primary. Those results indicated that shows 43% of likely Democratic Primary voters favor Charlie Crist, with 33% picking Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, and 15% liking state Sen. Annette Taddeo. Only about 8% of respondents started out unsure.

However, the poll also asked about a specific provision of the Parental Rights in Education bill.

Sheriffs Endorse Wilton Simpson for Agriculture Commissioner

March 22, 2022March 21, 2022 Grant Holcomb

A total of 59 county sheriffs have endorsed Florida Senate President Wilton Simpson (R-Trilby) for agriculture commissioner. Simpson, an egg farmer, has a number of notable endorsements so far in his young campaign.

Simpson’s list of endorsements includes: The Associated Industries of Florida (AIF), the National Rifle Association’s Unified Sportsmen of Florida (NRA-USF), the Associated Builders and Contractors of Florida (Florida Builders), Florida Police Benevolent Association (PBA), and Florida House Speaker Chris Sprowls (R-Palm Harbor).

Six Democrats Are Running for Governor in Florida

February 8, 2022February 7, 2022 The Center Square

Democrats in Florida have a while to go to decide who they’ll vote for during the primary election scheduled for Aug. 23. So far, six candidates are running ahead of the filing deadline of June 17. Three have held public office, three have never run for any public office.

Long-term Florida politician Charlie Crist is running for governor a third time after having lost his bid in 2014. He’s the only candidate in state history to run for governor as both a Republican and a Democrat. Crist was elected as Florida’s 44th governor as a Republican in 2006. He ran for governor as a Democrat in 2014 and lost.

Democratic Gubernatorial Hopeful Nikki Fried Calls DeSantis ‘a Fraud,’ Promotes Misinformation in Political Attack

February 1, 2022January 31, 2022 Steve Stewart

Florida Agriculture Commissioner and gubernatorial candidate Nikki Fried promoted false information in a political attack related to Governor DeSantis’s support for $80 million in infrastructure funds allocated to South Florida projects.

Fried, who recently compared DeSantis to Adolf Hitler, is currently facing fundraising challenges in her race against U.S. Congressman Charlie Crist for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination.

DeSantis recently announced more than $80 million in awards to South Florida communities through the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity’s (DEO) Rebuild Florida Mitigation General Infrastructure Program. DeSantis noted that the funding received through the grant program will enhance community infrastructure, support the environment, and mitigate against damage from future storms.

University Trustees Meddling Raises Questions About Possible Conflicts

January 18, 2022January 17, 2022 Grant Holcomb

Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University campus

Florida’s public universities have numerous outgoing board of trustee members and there has not yet been any indication of who will be replacing them. In fact, some board members are serving past their term and have been accused of hiring friends.

Ben Wilcox from Common Cause Florida, a government accountability group, said Florida law does not expressly dictate what happens when trustees continue in their post past their allotted term.

Expired COVID Test Controversy Turns Political

January 9, 2022January 8, 2022 Grant Holcomb

Last week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) announced approximately 800,000 to one million unadministered COVID tests stockpiled in a warehouse expired. The tests were produced by the manufacturer, Abbott, and were at-home test kits.

Democrats and progressives across Florida took unsubstantiated political shots across DeSantis’ bow.

Nikki Fried Consultant Wants FBI to Investigate Right Wingers Who Criticized Her on Twitter

December 7, 2021December 6, 2021 Peter D'Abrosca

A communications consultant for one of Florida’s Democrat candidates for Governor suggested Monday that the Federal Bureau of Investigation should investigate right wingers who criticized her on Twitter.

“In the last days, after posting the above,I am also getting followed by retired police who follow Breitbart, people who work for the alt-right publication in Spanish The American, and other alt-right people,” Evelyn Perez-Verdia said on Twitter.

Florida Senate President Wilton Simpson Officially Files for Agriculture Race

September 6, 2021September 5, 2021 Steve Stewart

Senate President Wilton Simpson, a wealthy Republican from Pasco County whose business holdings include a large egg farm, filed paperwork Friday to run for state agriculture commissioner next year.

Based on his latest financial disclosure, Simpson is one of the wealthiest members in the Florida Legislature with a net worth of $31.5 million as of Dec. 31.

Simpson, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump earlier this year, is the highest profiled candidate to enter the race. Current Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, a Democrat, is running for governor.

Nikki Fried Denies Cannabis Conflict of Interest

June 20, 2021June 19, 2021 Peter D'Abrosca

After a scathing report from The Orlando Sentinel tying Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Nikki Fried to the cannabis industry, the gubernatorial candidate has denied that there is any conflict of interest.

“One of the sources of her income increase is from Ignite Florida, a consulting firm where she is sole proprietor and lobbies the marijuana industry. Specifically, she amended a 2018 financial statement on May 28 indicating she received $351,480 from the firm. Previously, she had to amend the same 2018 statements on January 30, 2020 saying she received $72,000 in 2018 income,” The Florida Capital Star reported.

Florida Will Not Vote on Marijuana Legalization in 2022

June 19, 2021June 18, 2021 Peter D'Abrosca

The Florida Supreme Court Thursday struck down a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would have put marijuana legalization up for a vote in 2022.

The Court ruled that the language proposed for the ballot did not match the language in the amendment itself.

DeSantis Slams Nikki Fried After She Enters Race for Governor

June 4, 2021June 3, 2021 Peter D'Abrosca

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) slammed Florida Agriculture Commissioner and Democrat gubernatorial candidate Nikki Fried at press conference Wednesday in New Smyrna Beach, after Fried announced that she is running against DeSantis.

“Nikki Fried has done nothing in office. She does nothing,” DeSantis said. “All she does is emote on social media, virtue signal to small dollar donors in California and New York. She put her face, spent millions of dollars to put her face on every gas pump across this state, purely to boost her own image at your expense as a taxpayer.”

Nikki Fried Bashes ‘Rigged’ System, Announces Gubernatorial Run

June 2, 2021June 1, 2021 Peter D'Abrosca

After months of testing the waters and teasing a run for governor, Florida’s Agriculture Commissioner has officially launched her bid to take on incumbent Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).

Fried announced the run Tuesday afternoon, posting a video to her official Twitter account.

Florida Official Will Direct Offices to Ignore Governor’s Plan to Lower Flags to Honor Rush Limbaugh

February 23, 2021February 22, 2021 Florida Capital Star Staff

Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services Nikki Fried issued a press release on Monday stating that she will direct offices within her purview not to lower flags to half-staff in honor of the recently deceased conservative talk-radio host Rush Limbaugh.

The announcement from the Democrat comes after Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had previously indicated that flags would be lowered to half-staff to honor the late conservative icon.