Renzo Downey
Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried says Gov. Ron DeSantis’ decision to schedule Florida’s next Cabinet meeting on the day of the Primary Election is part of an “authoritarian power struggle” with the Democratic Cabinet member.
Fried is one of two candidates vying for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination to challenge DeSantis. But with the next Cabinet meeting now scheduled for Aug. 23, the day of the Primary, Fried will be obligated to be in Tallahassee that morning while U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist is free to campaign across the state.
Fried is currently trailing Crist in the latest Democratic Primary polls. As such, a morning of commitments in Tallahassee denies her the opportunity to campaign and try to close the significant gap with Crist.
“His scheduling of it during the Primaries shows his vindictiveness and his authoritarian power struggle with me, and that’s unfortunate that he is playing politics with the business of our state,” Fried told reporters Monday.
A poll released Monday of likely Florida Democratic voters shows Crist maintaining a strong lead over Fried in the Democratic gubernatorial Primary. St. Pete Polls’ latest survey, conducted for Florida Politics, shows greater than 49% favor Crist, a Democratic St. Petersburg Congressman and former GOP Governor. About 24% prefer Fried.
DeSantis, Attorney General Ashley Moody and Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis comprise the Cabinet and are all up for re-election statewide in November. Unlike Fried, none have Primary competition. Senate President Wilton Simpson, a Trilby Republican, is the frontrunner to replace Fried as Agriculture Commissioner.
The next Cabinet meeting had been slated for June 28, but DeSantis canceled the meeting earlier this month. Cabinet meetings are followed by a Clemency Board meeting the following day, which DeSantis also delayed this month. The August meetings are only the second pair of meetings this year.
Fried said she spoke last week with a woman who was supposed to be on the agenda for the June 29 Clemency Board meeting. Because she didn’t appear before the board this month, a land swap deal the woman was a part of fell through, Fried continued.
“This is, again, a dereliction of his responsibilities, both as a member of the Cabinet but also for all those people who have been waiting years upon years for the Clemency Board,” Fried said.
11 comments
tom palmer
June 20, 2022 at 4:03 pm
this is a surprise because…
Frank
June 20, 2022 at 4:32 pm
Poor little Lilleth, boo hoo.
Impeach Biden
June 20, 2022 at 5:50 pm
The most divisive Ag Commissioner ever in the State of Florida. Bye, bye Nikki Fried. Your time is almost up,
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June 20, 2022 at 5:56 pm
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Unby Lee Fabbel
June 20, 2022 at 6:40 pm
“. . .and try to close the significant gap with Crist.” If that is not unconsciously the funniest line published in FLAPOL this week, then please show me. What on earth is anyone associated with this story suggesting: the somehow Fried is going to save her farcical campaign with a few hours of South Florida sign waving? Go ‘way!
margaret koscielny
June 20, 2022 at 6:41 pm
A recent telephone survey of elections asked whom I would favor, DeSantis or Crist. It did not mention Nikki Fried. I did not respond, because it was obviously designed to make Crist’s numbers higher than Fried’s. I do not trust any polls because of this kind of dishonesty. I’m not sure who was the sponsor, but it was not an “impartial” poll.
Impeach Biden
June 20, 2022 at 7:58 pm
The South Florida Sun Sentinel has been publishing bogus polls for years. They had Clinton over Trump. They had Gillum over DeSantis. They had Trump losing Florida in 2020. It’s a liberal rag position paper for the Democratic Party.
Alex sink
June 21, 2022 at 7:34 am
Nikki is an embarrassment, not only to the Florida Democratic Party, but to all of Floridians. She derelicts her duties as Agriculture Commissioner while pretending to be a “true Democrat.” Her time is up.
Charlotte Greenbarg
June 21, 2022 at 7:49 am
Nikki. Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing
Peter Madaus
June 21, 2022 at 2:00 pm
Does this mean DeSantis fears Fried more than Crist?
Tom
June 22, 2022 at 10:03 pm
Some Dumcrat, any straight one please gag this wench. My goodness, this mental wench is as low as you can be. She crawls on her knees.
You dummycrats are psychotic. Fraud is a joke. Chameleon had no chance.
Peter are you crazy, America’s Gov fear either one of these losers. Please. Gov wins by 54% vs fraud, chameleon by 53.5%. Super majorities follow.
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