The 19th: “Florida was already attracting a lot of national attention as passage of its six-week abortion ban loomed. Then, state Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried was removed from an abortion rights protest near the state capitol in Tallahassee earlier this month, and photos and videos of her in handcuffs plastered social media.
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Protesting was the last resort for Fried and other state Democrats — a consequence of the political catastrophe facing Florida Democrats. Republicans won so much power in November’s elections that there was no question that if they wanted a strict abortion ban, they would enact one.
Fried, who was elected to chair the state party in February, is quick to point out that such policies are unpopular with most Floridians — her job is to address the disconnect by energizing those voters to the ballot box. But winning elections in Florida, a large and expensive state, is going to require convincing donors that Florida Democrats can win again, and improving coordination among groups backing liberal candidates and causes.
Fried, the former state agriculture commissioner and last Democrat elected statewide, has a job few would envy.”