State Rep. Angie Nixon of Jacksonville has announced she is running for the U.S. Senate, entering a Democratic primary field seeking to challenge Sen. Ashley Moody, a Republican appointed to the seat by Gov. Ron DeSantis. Nixon said her campaign will focus on civil rights and the economic pressures facing Florida residents.
Nixon has served in the Florida House since 2020. The Democratic nominee will face Moody in the November general election.
Here are five things to know about Angie Nixon and her Senate bid.
1. Nixon says her campaign is about giving people a chance to thrive and flourish, not just survive
Nixon framed her run as a response to growing economic and civil rights concerns across Florida, arguing that many residents feel left behind.
“This campaign isn’t about me,” Nixon said. “This campaign is about ensuring that the people of the state of Florida have a fighting chance to not just survive but actually thrive and to flourish.”
She said Floridians are “tired of being in a country where the system is rigged” while struggling with rising costs for rent and insurance and watching their civil rights erode.
“If you are tired of that, then you need to join my movement, join this movement, join our movement so that we can actually build a country that works for everyone,” she said.
2. Nixon is running as a self-described ‘grassroots organizer’
First elected to the Florida House in 2020, Nixon said she plans to rely on the same approach that helped her unseat incumbent Kimberly Daniels.
“I’m a grass-roots candidate,” she said. “I’m an organizer.”
She has made “Unbought and Unbossed” a central theme of both her House races and her Senate campaign, positioning herself as independent from corporate and political interests.
3. Nixon is more known for protest and advocacy rather than signature legislation
Nixon isn’t associated with major legislation during her time in the House, but she has been a visible critic of Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Republican-controlled Legislature. She organized a sit-in on the House floor to protest a redistricting plan that diminished Black voter power in north Florida.
Nixon has said initiatives she supported, including expanded child care programs, later appeared in legislation sponsored by other lawmakers.
4. Nixon has worked in voter registration and political organizing
Nixon previously served as executive director of Florida for All, a coalition that includes Service Employees International Union Florida, Florida Rising, FLIC Votes and Dream Defenders. The coalition has focused on voter registration and endorsing candidates statewide.
She won re-election in 2024 with 81% of the vote. Her opponent, Brenda Priestly Jackson, criticized Nixon’s emphasis on protest activity rather than legislative accomplishments and funding for district projects.
5. Nixon plans a statewide campaign and withholds endorsement in House District 13
The Democratic primary will be held in August, with the top vote-getter advancing to face Moody in the November general election.
DeSantis appointed Moody to the Senate seat after President Donald Trump selected Marco Rubio as secretary of state. The November election will determine who serves the remainder of the term.
Nixon criticized Moody’s opposition to extending federal subsidies for Affordable Care Act health insurance plans.
“There is a crushing affordability crisis and Ashley Moody is doing nothing about it,” Nixon said. “She is propping up and protecting greedy billionaires and corrupt corporations. She’s also just not showing up in the community when people need it the most.”
Nixon said she will not endorse a candidate to succeed her in House District 13.
“I’m just going to tell the great constituents of District 13 to do their research,” she said. “But I’m focused on my race. I’ve got to run statewide.”
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Who is Angie Nixon? 5 things to know about Jacksonville’s State Rep.
Reporting by Doris Alvarez Cea and David Bauerlein, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
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