MIAMI—Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava congratulated Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Nikki Fried on Saturday on her re-election to lead the party for another four years.
"Congratulations to @NikkiFried on her re-election as @FlaDems Chair. It’s critical that the Party chart a fresh approach ahead of the midterm elections," Cava said. Guided by the kitchen-table values that matter most to residents, I know we can move Florida forward together."
Nikki Fried, first elected in 2023, received 78% votes on the first ballot over state Sen. Audrey Gibson of Jacksonville. The 47-year-old will look to revitalize a Florida Democratic Party that has not faired well against Republicans in recent elections.
At the top of the ticket, President Donald Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris by 13 points in the state in November. He also won Miami-Dade County, a first for a Republican presidential candidate since 1988, and 61 of 67 counties overall.
Florida has not elected a Democrat for president since 2012. The state also has not had a Democratic governor since 1999.
Republicans also expanded their supermajority in the House heading into 2025. The GOP added two former Democratic members, Reps. Susan Valdes and Hillary Cassel, in December.
House Republicans hold 86 seats to the Democrats' 33 in the 120-member chamber. The GOP also has 28 Senate seats to the Democrats' 12 in the 40-member chamber.
According to the Florida Division of Elections, Republicans outnumber Democrats by over 1.1 million registered voters. Just five years ago, Democrats held a slight advantage over Republicans in the state.
Before serving as Chair, Fried was the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services from 2019 to 2023. She also was Florida’s only statewide elected Democrat at the time.
Fried also unsuccessfully ran for governor as a Democrat in 2022. That year, she was defeated in the Democratic primary by nominee Charlie Crist by 24 points. Crist eventually lost to incumbent Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis by 20 points in the gubernatorial election.
After DeSantis' landslide victory, Fried took over the party from Manny Diaz, who resigned following the election.
Cava was a bright spot for Fried and the Florida Democratic Party after she defeated Miami Lakes Mayor Manny Cid for re-election as Miami-Dade County mayor. Outside of her, wins were few and far between for Fried across the state.
Along with Fried, Florida Democrats elected Daniel Henry as First Vice Chair, Ione Townsend as Secretary, and Wes Hodge as Treasurer.
Earlier this month, Florida Republicans comfortably elected Evan Power as chairman for another two years. The 43-year-old threw a bit of shade at Florida Democrats and Fried upon her re-election.
