Florida Democratic Senate nominee Angie Nixon is facing scrutiny from Republicans over her membership in the Democratic Socialists of America after she upset former Trump impeachment witness Alexander Vindman in last week's Democratic primary, setting up a matchup against incumbent Sen. Ashley Moody, R-Fla., in November.
Nixon, a progressive Florida state lawmaker, told NBC News on Sunday that she is "not a socialist," despite acknowledging her membership in the DSA. She said she joined the far-left group because of its platform on public housing, healthcare, veterans' issues and removing big money from politics. The primary victory over Vindman, who served as a National Security Council official during Trump's first term, was seen as an upset in Florida's Democratic Party.
What the Right Is Saying
Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., who fled Castro's Cuba as a child with his family in 1960, said Nixon should be clear about her political identity. "She's either a bona-fide socialist, or she's not very smart, because she ended up being a member of the Democratic Socialists of America," Gimenez told Fox News Digital. "I don't know what the heck she thought she was joining.
Gimenez argued that socialist and communist movements historically deny their intentions until gaining power. He pointed to Cuba under Castro as an example, noting that Castro denied being a Marxist-Leninist before publicly embracing those ideologies in December 1961. "Socialists and communists deny what they are until they get into power," Gimenez said.
The congressman argued that DSA's policy proposals reveal broader ambitions beyond specific issues like housing or healthcare. He pointed to DSA calls for abolishing the Senate and restructuring the Supreme Court as evidence of efforts to reshape American democratic institutions. Gimenez cited Venezuela under Hugo Chavez and Nicaragua under Daniel Ortega as examples of movements that gained power through elections before consolidating control.
"These socialists are actually using democracy to destroy democracy," Gimenez said, predicting that incumbent Moody would defeat Nixon in November. He noted his South Florida district includes a 70% Hispanic population with significant numbers of immigrants from Cuba and Venezuela who have personal experiences with socialist governance.
What the Left Is Saying
Nixon has defended her DSA membership by emphasizing the organization's specific policy priorities rather than its broader ideological label. "I'm not a socialist," she told NBC News, framing her participation as driven by practical concerns about housing access, healthcare coverage and reducing corporate influence in elections. Her campaign has highlighted her work on progressive legislation in Tallahassee, arguing that voters should evaluate her based on her policy record rather than organizational affiliations.
Progressive groups supporting Nixon have pointed to DSA's success in electing candidates who prioritize kitchen-table issues over corporate interests. Supporters argue the organization functions as a coalition of activists pushing for popular policies like expanded public housing and Medicare-for-all, not an ideological movement seeking wholesale government takeover of the economy.
What the Numbers Show
Nixon won last week's Democratic Senate primary with approximately 52 percent of the vote to Vindman's 41 percent, according to preliminary results. The race was called as an upset because Vindman had higher name recognition and more fundraising resources heading into Election Day. Florida's general election is scheduled for November.
Florida has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since Bill Nelson in 2018, when he lost re-election to Rick Scott by about 10,000 votes. The state's last Democratic senator before Nelson was Connie Mack IV, who served from 1989 to 2001. Moody won her 2022 race against Val Demings with approximately 55 percent of the vote.
The DSA has endorsed more than 100 elected officials nationwide since its founding in 2017, including several members of Congress such as Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., and Cori Bush, D-Mo. The organization reported raising more than $23 million for candidates through mid-2024.
The Bottom Line
The race between Nixon and Moody will test whether progressive Democratic candidates with ties to democratic socialist organizations can win statewide in Florida. Republicans have signaled they will make Nixon's DSA membership a central campaign issue, arguing voters should understand the implications of supporting an organization whose leaders have praised figures like Castro.
Nixon's victory over Vindman suggests she has a base of support among progressive Democrats, but winning statewide will require appealing to moderate and independent voters who may be skeptical of socialist-labeled organizations. The race is expected to attract significant national attention and fundraising from both parties as control of the Senate remains competitive.
Moody has not yet responded publicly to Nixon's primary victory, though her campaign is expected to release a statement in the coming days. Both campaigns are likely to frame the contest as a choice between two distinct visions for Florida's future.