Angie Nixon, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America who won Florida's Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in 2026, made comments calling supporters of Charlie Kirk "tools of white supremacy" and comparing legislation honoring the Turning Point USA founder to something "brought straight by the KKK."
Nixon defeated former Trump impeachment witness Alex Vindman in the August primary for the seat being vacated by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. She will face incumbent Sen. Ashley Moody (R-FL) in November's general election.
The comments came six days after Kirk, a 31-year-old conservative activist who built Turning Point USA into a major conservative organization and helped elect President Donald Trump, was killed. Republican lawmakers including Sen. Rick Scott introduced resolutions honoring Kirk.
What the Right Is Saying
Republican officials and conservative commentators have sharply criticized Nixon's remarks, calling them inflammatory and divisive.
RNC Spokeswoman Emma Hall provided a statement to The Daily Wire: "Nixon's repulsive comments are hateful and unhinged, just like her."
Florida Republican Party Chairman Evan Power called Nixon "completely unfit for office" and said her comments demonstrated why she would be "dangerous as a U.S. Senator."
Conservative commentators noted that Kirk, who was 31 at the time of his death, had been honored by multiple state legislatures for his work with young conservatives on college campuses across the country.
What the Left Is Saying
Progressive Democrats have largely remained silent on Nixon's specific remarks. Nixon's supporters argue she was speaking out against honoring someone whose public statements they describe as harmful to Black communities and other marginalized groups.
Nixon argued that legislation establishing a Charlie Kirk Day of Remembrance was an attempt to "sanitize what this guy was about." She said during floor debate: "If you removed all of the stuff he said about Black people and made it about Jewish people, we wouldn't be here. We would label him antisemitic, and you would be saying he's saying things that are terroristic."
Nixon also accused Florida's legislative body of promoting "hate and cruelty" and stated it was "OK" in the chamber to be "anti-black" and "anti-Muslim." Her office has not responded to requests for additional comment.
What the Numbers Show
Prediction markets give Sen. Ashley Moody a 94% chance of winning the November general election, according to Polymarket data cited by CNN.
Florida voted for Donald Trump by approximately 13 percentage points in the 2024 presidential election, making it a challenging state for Democratic Senate candidates.
Nixon received approximately 52% of the Democratic primary vote, defeating Vindman who garnered roughly 38%, with other candidates splitting the remaining support. Nixon had previously gone viral for using a bullhorn to shout down colleagues during Florida House proceedings.
The state's Cuban-American population, which represents a significant voting bloc in South Florida, has historically shown skepticism toward socialist-leaning candidates.
The Bottom Line
Nixon will face Moody in November to serve the final two years of Rubio's Senate term. Republicans have already begun using her comments in fundraising appeals and advertising targeting suburban voters.
The race is expected to draw significant national attention as both parties test whether progressive or moderate Democratic candidates perform better in purple-state Senate contests. Democrats have not won a U.S. Senate seat in Florida since 2012.
Nixon faces pressure from both sides: Republicans will continue highlighting her comments, while some progressive activists are urging her to clarify her remarks about online critics that drew additional criticism.