Angie Nixon defied the odds by winning the primary election in August. Now, she intends to do the same in her quest for Florida’s U.S. Senate seat on Nov. 3.
She is the second Black woman to win a major-party Senate nomination in Florida and the first Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) member to win a Democratic Senate nomination anywhere.
Nixon claimed victory over Alexander Vindman during the primary despite his fundraising advantage of roughly 17 to 1. She relied on grassroots organizing to secure the monumental win.
Her current opponent, Republican U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody, was appointed to the Senate in January 2025 by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Should Nixon defeat Moody in the upcoming election, she will become the state’s first Black U.S. senator, a milestone she says is “long overdue,” given that Florida is home to the second-largest Black population in the country.
No Florida Democrat has won a U.S. Senate race since 2012.
When Politico reporter Dasha Burns asked how she responds to people who say a place like Florida would never elect a Black woman or progressive, Nixon reflected on former President Barack Obama’s ability to win the state.
“I remind folks that President Obama won the state of Florida twice, and that President Obama and I come out of the same history,” she said. “We were organizers. And so I’m letting people know that I can win. I’m going to win.”
Background And Previous Experience
Born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida, Nixon was raised by a single mother who worked two jobs. She says that upbringing prepared her for the grassroots campaign approach she has taken in her quest for the U.S. Senate seat.
As an elementary school student, Nixon was bused across town because of the lack of resources available at her school, which was located in a predominantly Black neighborhood.
A graduate of the University of Florida, Nixon earned a bachelor’s degree in political science. She is a former union organizer and served as an aide to state Rep. Mia Jones. In 2020, she unseated incumbent Kimberly Daniels and was elected to the Florida House of Representatives.
An entrepreneur, Nixon owns Cafe Resistance Bookstore and Coffee Shop in her hometown of Jacksonville. According to a Facebook post, the bookstore and coffee shop “stocks books that Florida politicians tried to pull.”
Campaign Platform: Cost Of Living
Nixon was a single mother for 12 years and has been vocal about her understanding of the challenges of making ends meet. She has drawn on those experiences to stretch dollars and maximize her campaign resources.
A signature issue of Nixon’s campaign is the rising cost of living. She supports a federal ban on price gouging for groceries and fuel. She also backs national rent stabilization, affordable housing and down-payment assistance.
Campaign Platform: Health Care
Nixon supports a Medicare for All system designed to provide coverage for every American with no premiums, deductibles, copays or surprise bills.
Florida remains one of the few states that have not accepted federal funding to expand Medicaid eligibility to individuals earning up to 138% of the federal poverty level.
A supporter of comprehensive health care, Nixon’s platform includes dental, vision, hearing, mental health, substance use treatment, reproductive care, maternity care and prescription drugs. She also calls for capping prescription drug prices and ending corporate price gouging.
Campaign Platform: Families And Work
As a single mother herself and someone raised by one, Nixon has taken a strong stance in support of families like the one she grew up in.
She supports universal childcare, paid family and medical leave, and a higher minimum wage. She says these initiatives can be funded by raising taxes only on the ultra-wealthy.
Criticism And Current Poll Standing
Although Nixon challenged her opponent, Ashley Moody, to a televised statewide debate, Moody declined, saying it would spotlight a “self-proclaimed socialist.”
In May, Nixon staged a sit-in at the Capitol to meet with Gov. DeSantis about a newly passed, Republican-backed congressional redistricting map. She maintained the sit-in for roughly five hours, beginning at noon.
Nixon was arrested and charged with two misdemeanors, including trespassing and resisting an officer without violence.
The case was ultimately resolved in September 2026, with Nixon agreeing to complete 15 hours of community service and pay a $250 fine.
The Florida House Rules & Ethics Committee had previously reprimanded her for taking the House floor with a pink megaphone and declaring, “This is a violation of the Constitution,” and “I will not allow you to destroy our democracy,” disrupting a vote on congressional maps championed by Gov. DeSantis.
Pollsters currently project an electorate that leans 13 points Republican. Sen. Ashley Moody currently leads Nixon with 50% support, while Nixon sits at 44%, according to a recent New York Times/Siena College poll.
As of Friday, Oct. 30, Fox 13 reports, more than 4.2 million Floridians have already cast ballots in the 2026 midterm election.
That’s approximately 31% of the state’s 13.7 million registered voters.
About 2.5 million people have voted in person during early voting, while another 1.8 million have returned vote-by-mail ballots.
The latest tally from the University of Florida Election Lab shows registered Republicans lead early voting with 40.4% of ballots cast, registered Democrats make up 38.6% of the votes, and no-party or minor-party voters cast the remaining 21.1%.
If Nixon wins the election against Moody, she will serve the remainder of the six-year term and will be up for reelection in 2028.
