Nikki Fried, only statewide elected Democrat in Florida, launches challenge to DeSantis

Florida’s Democratic Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried is officially running for governor.

The lone statewide elected Democrat announced on Tuesday that she will challenge Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) in 2022 after months of speculation about a potential gubernatorial bid. In a video announcing her candidacy, Fried cast herself as a proven crusader against corruption, vowing to “break the whole rigged system.”

“Listen, this won’t be easy. Those in power will do whatever harm it takes to stay there,” Fried said in a video announcing her candidacy. “But I’ve spent my whole life taking on the system. I’m unafraid, I’m tested, I’m ready. And I know you’re ready for something new too.”

It’s time to break the rigged, corrupt system in Florida with #SomethingNew.

That’s why I’m running for Governor.
Join us at https://t.co/pSDjoC7HWW. pic.twitter.com/Vzb1MnBuSB

— Nikki Fried (@NikkiFried) June 1, 2021

Fried’s announcement sets her up for a primary battle against Rep. Charlie Crist (D-Fla.), himself a former governor who announced last month that he would make another run for his old job.

Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.), who was once seen as a potential contender for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, is planning instead to challenge Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) next year.

Ousting DeSantis is a top priority for Florida Democrats, who have been frozen out of the governor’s mansion for more than two decades. DeSantis is a top ally of former President Trump and has been floated as a potential candidate for the GOP’s 2024 presidential nomination.

Beating DeSantis likely won’t prove easy, however. The governor is beloved by conservatives and has amassed a staggering warchest for his reelection bid. In April alone, DeSantis’s political committee raked in nearly $14 million, its largest monthly haul since his 2018 campaign.

And while DeSantis faced intense criticism early last year over his lax handling of the coronavirus pandemic, recent polling shows his approval rating above water, suggesting that he’s on strong footing heading into his reelection bid.

Fried has made the argument that she’s the Democrat best equipped to go up against DeSantis next year, pointing to her success in 2018 when she narrowly defeated former state Rep. Matt Caldwell (R) in the agriculture commissioner race.

That same year, Democrat Andrew Gillum lost the governor’s race to DeSantis, while former Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) fell to then-Gov. Rick Scott in the Senate contest.

Fried has also positioned herself as a leading critic of DeSantis, hitting him over everything from his handling of the state’s Covid-19 vaccination rollout to his signing of a sweeping voting bill live on Fox News, which she compared to the use of state-sponsored media by authoritarian regimes.

“We are no longer a free state,” she added. “This governor has infringed upon our rights once again.”

Last month, she signaled that a campaign announcement was imminent, releasing a video on social media teasing “#SomethingNew” on June 1.