Peter Schorsch
Florida Democrats managed to field a candidate for almost every state House seat and all of the state Senate races slated for the November ballot.
Now, Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried is teaming up with the Florida Democratic Party to ensure they have the tools to be successful.
The partnership will see Fried help cover the bill to purchase access to VAN — the voter database service used by Democratic campaigns across the country — for legislative candidates that need assistance.
“I am proud to stand with the Florida Democratic Party, and subsidize VAN costs so that our legislative candidates can hit the ground running. As I know first hand, Florida is a state that is won or lost on the margins,” Fried said. “This investment will ensure that our legislative candidates have the resources they need, help elect Democrats across the state, and ensure a victory for Vice President Joe Biden.”
While FDP typically helps campaigns with VAN access, it typically doesn’t have state legislative candidates running for office in 100-plus districts at the same time. And the costs add up.
This is the first time in 20 years there are Democrats running in nearly every House district on the ballot and in all top tier Senate races. Fried’s partnership will help ensure resources in parts of Florida that haven’t seen a Democratic candidate on the ballot for years.
“We are so proud to announce this partnership and we are thankful to Commissioner Fried for taking on this expense on behalf of our legislative candidates,” FDP Chair Terrie Rizzo said.
“With the establishment of the Elections Department at the Florida Democratic Party, we are supporting hundreds of Democrats running for local, county, and state offices throughout the state. We look forward to continuing our work with our amazing roster of candidates and winning critical local elections this November.”
