Rallying Orlando voters, Nikki Fried vows to make DeSantis a ‘one-term governor and a zero-term president’
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Democratic candidate for governor Nikki Fried vowed Thursday night to unseat Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and ensure he is a “zero-term” president as she rallied voters in Orlando just days before the primary election.
Fried delivered her closing argument on why she thinks she has the best chance to defeat DeSantis in November.
“We are going to make Ron DeSantis a one-term governor and a zero-term president of the United States,” she said to several dozen cheering supporters.
A caravan of cars with Puerto Rican flags and Fried signs followed her campaign bus to a “get out the vote” event in downtown Orlando. She walked off the bus to the sounds of chants, tambourines and a trumpet. Supporters danced and waved flags.
Fried, Florida’s agriculture commissioner, is squaring off against U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist in Tuesday’s Democratic primary election. The winner will face DeSantis, who has built a national profile and is widely seen as a leading contender for president in 2024.
Fried promised to fight for abortion rights and tackle skyrocketing rent. She painted DeSantis as an anti-freedom candidate who supports restricting abortion, banning certain topics from being taught in the classroom and making it harder to vote.
“This Harvard and Yale educated guy doesn’t understand what freedom means,” Fried said.
Fried, 44, is Florida’s only statewide elected Democrat.
Crist, 66, has worn a variety of political hats, serving as state senator, education commissioner, state attorney general and governor from 2007 to 2011.
He switched from Republican to Democrat in 2012 and was elected to Congress in 2016. Fried slammed Crist for comments and judicial appointments he made earlier in his political career.
In one old clip, Crist boasted of his “pro-life record” and promised to support a constitutional amendment to defend “traditional marriage” and appoint conservative judges to the state Supreme Court.
In an interview with the Orlando Sentinel’s editorial board, Crist said he’s made some mistakes during his long political career. He said he is an unwavering supporter of abortion rights and will veto any legislation restricting access to abortion.
Crist has led in most polls, but Fried’s campaign is finding hope in a recent University of North Florida poll that showed her with a slight lead. She said she is building momentum with women who are upset about the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which guaranteed a woman’s right to an abortion.
Conti Moore Smith, a Fried supporter, said she thinks the Democrats have the best chance of beating DeSantis with someone new.
“We need a fresh, new perspective in Florida, and the Democrats need to rally behind someone who has new ideas,” she said.
More than 759,000 Democrats have cast ballots early as of Thursday, according to the Florida Division of Elections.
Complete election coverage can be found at OrlandoSentinel.com/election.
