Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture, Nikki Fried, is throwing her hat in the race to be the state’s next governor.
Fried filed the paperwork for her run Tuesday morning and followed with an official video announcement later on Twitter.
"It’s time to break the rigged, corrupt system in Florida..." Fried wrote.
She’ll join a race that already has a big name vying for Florida’s top position — former governor turned U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist. Current Gov. Ron DeSantis has not officially announced his gubernatorial re-election bid, but his political committee raised millions this spring.
In recent weeks, Fried, the only Democrat elected to a statewide post, has turned up her attacks against DeSantis. She’s been very critical of him on numerous issues, including the governor’s recent signing of a controversial voting restrictions bill.
On Tuesday, she slammed as "especially cruel" his decision to sign a law restricting school sports participation for transgender girls on the same day as Pride Month began.
"By signing a heartless ban on transgender kids in sports, @GovRonDeSantis is marginalizing an entire community," she tweeted. "...Florida should stand for inclusivity, equality, and liberty — not peddling hate for political points."
While supporters see Fried as a breath of fresh air, she only narrowly won her current job – which may make the governor’s mansion a long-shot.
Fried grew up in Miami and graduated from the University of Florida. She has a law degree and ran the felony division at the Alachua County Public Defender’s Office. She also spent time in private practice, as an attorney in South Florida.
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