"Strange bedfellows": Bernie Sanders, Florida Dems and a benchmark $250k donation

· Axios

MIAMI — Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is sending the Florida Democratic Party $250,000. It's a relative pittance in the Sunshine State — but the check signals a big political shift.

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Why it matters: The state party's moderate leaders have resisted the rising tide of democratic socialists elevated by Sanders for years. But political changes and financial need have brought the two together like never before:

  1. The Florida Democratic Party is essentially broke after decades of being out of power, and national establishment Democratic organizations have so far refused to help.
  2. Angie Nixon, who joined the Democratic Socialists of America this summer, is the state party's U.S. Senate nominee. Sanders endorsed her and has long wanted to help, an aide said.

Zoom in: Despite being vastly outraised and outspent in Florida, Nixon and Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Jolly are stubbornly close in polling to their respective Republican opponents, Sen. Ashley Moody and Rep. Byron Donalds.

  • Until now, national Democrats have been hesitant to spend in Florida due to years of soul-crushing defeats —especially at the hands of President Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis — that made the state and its 10 expensive media markets look like a bad investment.
  • This year, with Republican fortunes sagging nationwide, Texas, Ohio, Iowa and Alaska look more promising for Democrats.

That could change soon. Nixon told a liberal podcaster Thursday that the chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, held a fundraiser for her.

  • Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), whom Nixon called out last week for not helping, also might make money available.
  • "Folks are a little gun-shy because, unfortunately, Vice President [Kamala] Harris lost as a Black woman. And so people are being very hesitant in terms of funding Black women, especially in the South," Nixon told MS NOW's "Clock It with Symone & Eugene."

Behind the scenes: Florida Democratic Party chair Nikki Fried has been constantly working national donors for money, allies say, but she never asked Sanders for help because of their ideological differences and resistance within the state party.

  • Socialists — and Sanders' associated views — have long been regarded as political liabilities in a state where so many Hispanic voters hailed from countries associated with leftist violence.
  • But when Sanders signaled he was ready to give to a "victory fund" that joins the state party and Nixon's campaign, Fried didn't stand in the way.
  • "Angie's going to turn out our base," Fried privately told skeptical allies in the party. "Every dollar that helps Angie, helps Jolly and helps the candidates down ballot."

Friction point: Establishment Democrats are divided between those who don't want to be associated with Sanders and those who wanted him to give more of his $23 million campaign fund than just $250,000.

  • "That's it? He should send more," said Florida Rep. Lois Frankel, who has been critical of Sanders and doesn't agree with Sanders' and Nixon's criticisms of Israel.
  • "Republicans are going to kill us for taking Bernie socialist money and we're not even getting enough of it," one Democratic candidate groused. "But yeah, strange bedfellows."
  • Said Javier Fernandez, a Democratic mayor of the city of South Miami: "The more we rally around Bernie, the more we hurt our long-term prospects."
  • "It's a Faustian bargain: The party captures the energy and dynamism of the Bernie/DSA that are trying to use the party, but it compromises core values of moderate and progressive Democrats and puts us further out of step with the views of mainstream voters."

The big picture: The Democratic Party is evolving as progressives and socialist-aligned candidates and activists energize its base.

  • Nationwide, 65% of Democrats now have a favorable view of socialism, according to a Gallup survey released last week that also found support rising among independents.
  • Nixon is the Democratic engine drawing enthusiastic crowds in Florida. Her rallies double as organizational events to harness volunteers to knock on doors, make phone-bank calls or volunteer. She also has a notable social media presence and a stable of influencers.
  • It's a stark contrast with Jolly's low-key candidacy, which has a small social-media footprint and events.

Between the lines: After some initial tension, Nixon's campaign is aligned with the state party, which is providing additional organizational support.

  • Statewide, the state party reports an army of 6,000 volunteers who helped Democrats flip 46 seats in legislative, school-board and local-government races across Florida in two years.
  • Florida Democrats are now keeping pace with the GOP in voter registration gains.
  • Sanders has sent his staff and organizers to Florida to help Nixon with literature, texting and phone-banking.

Yes, but: Florida Republicans still have far more registered voters, an edge of more than 1.5 million. And the Florida GOP has a well-oiled turnout machine and a stable of political pros who have consistently helped keep the state reliably red.

  • "We don't lose Florida," one of them said, noting Moody and Donalds are marginally ahead of Nixon and Jolly in most polls.
  • Still, there are jitters in the GOP as gas prices rise along with interest rates and the real estate market cools.
  • "I'm not going to say Angie or Jolly are going to win," said one GOP consultant. "It's hard to see a DSA candidate winning a general [election], but could I see a world where she turns out the base and falls short but Jolly benefits from it and ekes it out? Nobody knows."

What they're saying: Nixon's campaign manager, Eunic Ortiz, said the money from Sanders helps, but big money is less salient nowadays.

  • Republicans' "billionaire donors will likely outspend us, but we know we will out-organize them," Ortiz said. "We're going to win with people on the ground, neighbors talking to neighbors, and the kind of energy and excitement money can't buy."
  • "Did we see a world where Bernie led the way in getting national money to Florida? No," said an ally of Fried's. "But national donors are starting to give to Florida. And Bernie was the first nod the nation is paying attention."

Axios' Holly Otterbein contributed to this story.

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