DSA candidate Angie Nixon wins Florida Senate primary
A left-wing state lawmaker crushed a heavily funded establishment favorite in Florida's Democratic Senate primary, a bad night for the party's old guard and a sign the base wants fighters over resistance celebrities.
- Angie Nixon, a state representative and union organizer, beat Alex Vindman by roughly 12 points to become the first Democratic Socialists of America member ever nominated for a statewide race.
- Vindman raised over $14 million and ran on his role in Trump's impeachment; Nixon raised under $1 million and spent nothing on TV.
- Her hard line against the war in Gaza, taken back when it was politically risky in Florida, drew a sharp contrast with Vindman, who refused to engage on the issue at all.
- Nixon flew under the national radar, so no outside money poured in to attack her the way it did against progressives in Michigan and Wisconsin.
- Democrats also flipped a Pennsylvania legislative seat in a district Trump won by 18 points, plus school board and council seats in deep-red Florida counties.
Outlook: Nixon is a heavy underdog against Republicans in a state Trump won by double digits, but the results point to Democrats entering the midterms with real momentum.