Down in Florida, the DSA may have scored one of its biggest victories. They nominated State Rep. Angie Nixon, who defeated favorite Alex Vindman, who outspent her by a lot. It proved once again that you don’t underestimate the DSA because they will get their voters out.
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Let’s check out the events in Florida:
Far-left State Rep. Angie Nixon handed the progressive movement a surprise win against deep-pocketed Alex Vindman in Florida’s Democratic Senate primary Tuesday night.
With nearly all precincts reporting, Nixon had handily defeated Vindman, a retired Army lieutenant colonel and a top witness in President Trump’s 2019 impeachment, by 12 points, 56% to 44%.
Nixon’s victory over Vindman despite his name recognition and being vastly overspent in Florida’s Democratic Senate primary came as a surprise precisely because of where it happened.
Progressives or those aligned with the democratic socialist movement have racked up primary victories elsewhere this cycle, but almost all of them came in blue or purple states.
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The DSA is here to stay and that’s all you can say.
Vindman stuck to the playbook. He got those valued endorsements from key Democrats like Mark Kelly of Arizona, Jack Reed of Rhode Island, and Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, as well as Florida state Senate Democrat Leader Lori Berman. He looked like a winner, especially having made a name for himself by being a part of the first Trump impeachment. He was a military man, so he had all the credentials to come across as a strong force in a Democrat primary.
Nixon was the underdog all the way. She was elected to the Florida state House in 2020. Vindman chose to skip debates and let the money and endorsements get him over the line. In short, Vindman had money and great TV ads, but Nixon had the voters who show up in primaries.
Nixon now will face Senator Ashley Moody, and we’ll see how that left-wing message plays in the Sunshine State. My guess is that won’t play well, but Nixon proved that the voters will show up. Don’t underestimate that.
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Image: Florida House of Representatives