JAX: Florida Democrats can't stop the GOP right now. But Nikki Fried says they're willing to fight.
To win statewide again, Florida Democrats will need a running start.
They see an opportunity to energize both voters and donors in the race for mayor of Jacksonville, one of the last large U.S. cities with a Republican mayor.
Donna Deegan is vying to become the first Democrat elected to lead the states largest city in more than a decade, in a county that backed DeSantis reelection bid by nearly 12 points.
Recent polling shows Deegan leading Republican Daniel Davis by 17 points, after outperforming him by nearly 15 points in an open primary with one other Democrat, four Republicans and an independent.
Deegan is a former TV anchor; after surviving three bouts of breast cancer, Deegan founded and leads a nonprofit that provides financial support to families grappling with breast cancer. Davis, the CEO of the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce and has DeSantis backing, has far outraised Deegan. Last month, Davis campaign committee raised more than half a million, while Deegans raised just $185,000.
https://19thnews.org/2023/04/florida-democratic-party-nikki-fried-energize-voters/