Ryan Nicol
Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried will head to South Florida Friday afternoon to help turn out voters in southern Miami-Dade County.
Fried will appear at an event spearheaded by Democratic U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell. Mucarsel-Powell will launch a volunteer ‘Get Out The Vote’ canvass and phone bank in Homestead, according to a Friday morning release.
State Rep. Javier Fernández and Florida City Mayor Otis Wallace, both Democrats, will also be in attendance. Fried was the only Democrat elected statewide in 2018.
The officials will appear at 143 N Flagler Ave in Homestead at 2 p.m., according to the schedule released by Mucarsel-Powell’s team.
Mucarsel-Powell is seeking reelection in Florida’s 26th Congressional District amid a challenge from Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Giménez. That district runs from Miami-Dade down through the Keys and encompasses Homestead.
The race is expected to be close given the Mayor’s eight-years of experience representing the county. That’s given him a high name ID and the potential to mount a serious challenge to Mucarsel-Powell, though she has consistently outraised Giménez this cycle.
Fernández, meanwhile, is departing the House to pursue the Senate District 39 seat. The race is a top target for Democrats and also contains Homestead.
Democrats have seen warning signs in voter turnout data inside Miami-Dade County. While Joe Biden appears to be a narrow favorite in the purple state, South Florida could pose problems for down-ballot Democrats such as Mucarsel-Powell and Fernández.
Friday’s event is part of several get-out-the-vote efforts scheduled through the weekend.
On Saturday, state. Rep. Shevrin Jones will join Miramar Mayor Wayne Messam and Miramar Commissioners Yvette Colbourne and Alexandria Davis for a similar effort in Miramar, just north of Miami-Dade County.
Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris will also visit South Florida Saturday in an effort to boost turnout. She has stops planned in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties.
