Florida - Monday February 13, 2023: Former Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried has announced her candidacy for Florida Democratic Party Chair.
In her announcement Fried called for party unity, a recommitment to voter registration and coalition building.
"As Chair, I will commit to rebuilding our Party from the ground up," said Fried. "And I will dedicate the full weight of the Party to quality candidate recruitment and to reforming our antiquated weighted vote system and bylaws which too often exclude rather than include."
She added that Florida Democratic Party Chair was not the path she had envisioned for herself, 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."
Public endorsements from FDP's Voting Members for Fried's bid to become FDP Chair include:
- Joe Adams, State Committeeman, Citrus County
- Junaid Akther, State Committeeman, Palm Beach
- Nikki Barnes, State Committeewoman, Wakulla County
- Benjamin Bolan, State Committeeman, Okeechobee County
- Dr. John Capece, State Committeeman, Glades County
- Grace Carrington, State Committeewoman, Broward County
- Karen Clay, Disability Caucus
- Alan Clendenin, DNC Member
- Jack Crocetto, State Committeeman, Pasco County
- JT Eckhoff, State Committeewoman, Suwanee County
- Margaret Ellington, State Committeewoman, Putnam County
- Ken Evans, State Committeeman, Broward County
- Danika Fornear, State Committeewoman, Glades County
- Francine Garcia, FDP Treasurer
- Dr. Lucy Garner, State Committeewoman, Charlotte County
- Tom Garner, State Committeeman, Charlotte County
- Reverend James Golden, State Committeeman, Manatee County
- Aleacia Guy, State Committeewoman, Pasco County
- Alan Harris, State Committeeman, Polk County
- Dan Hauversburk, State Committeeman, Wakulla County
- Irene Keim, State Committeewoman Hernando County
- Stuart Klatte, State Committeeman, Lake County
- Marcus Klebe, State Committeeman, Hillsborough County
- Lillian Lockette, State Committeewoman, Lake County
- Linae Parkinson, State Committeewoman, Duval County
- Stacey Peters, State Committeewoman, Levy County
- Dr. Susan Reeder, State Committeewoman, Citrus County
- Richard Segall, State Committeeman, Putnam County
- Dr. Casmore Shaw, FDP Secretary and State Committeeman, Osceola County
- Florence Shelton-Clark, State Committeewoman, Manatee County
- Sandra Smith, State Committeewoman, Santa Rosa County
- Brian Stewart, State Committeeman, Hernando County
- Joseph Switt, State Committeeman, Levy County
- Ellen Teller, State Committeewoman, Flagler County
- Cramer Verde, State Committeeman, Sarasota County
- Harold Williams, State Committeeman, Suwanee County
- Marian Williams, Democratic State Committee Association