Angie Nixon to run for Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate

By Mitch Perry, The Florida Phoenix

Jacksonville state Rep. Angie Nixon announced Thursday that she is running for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate this year.

The seat is now held by Republican Ashley Moody, appointed a year ago by Gov. Ron DeSantis. A Florida Democrat hasn’t served in the U.S. Senate since Bill Nelson lost his bid for a fourth term narrowly in 2018.

Nixon’s decision is not exactly a surprise. She announced last fall that this would be her last term in the Florida House and has been making visits around the state for months as part of her “Awake the State” tour.

Initially elected in 2020, Nixon is considered one of the most progressive members of the Democratic House caucus, and has proudly proclaimed herself “the biggest pain in Ron DeSantis’ ass.”

She earned the enmity of Republicans over the years, such as when she led a protest on the House floor in 2022 to protest a congressional map drawn up by DeSantis that eliminated two districts where Black residents constituted a plurality. She also sparked controversy in November 2023, when she called for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war, a little over a month after the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas.

Republican Party of Florida Chair Evan Power mocked Nixon after she wrote on social media in September that she was considering a bid for Senate. “I needed a good laugh today, looks like @AngieNixon wants to lose a U.S. Senate race. I think it’s a great idea,” Power wrote on X.

The best known Democrat to have entered the race to date is Jennifer Jenkins, a former school board member from Brevard County. A public opinion poll conducted by the University of North Florida’s Public Opinion Research Lab in October showed Moody with an 11-point lead over Jenkins, 49%-38%.

The Cook Political Report lists the race as a “solid R” seat.

With Republicans holding a more than 11-point voter registration lead over Democrats at present, every Democrat running for statewide office is a prohibitive underdog going into this fall’s midterm election.