Florida Democratic Party Chair
Nikki Fried Updates

Dear Democrats,

What a busy week it has been in Tallahassee! FDP staff and I have been hard at work focusing on the Legislative Session and Municipal races around the state. Unfortunately, this past week has been brutal with the passing of many bad bills that will harm millions of Floridians. As a Party, we must show that we are fighting for the people against harmful legislation.

I was thrilled to welcome DNC Chair Jaime Harrison and ASDC Chair Ken Martin to Tallahassee last week. We had several great events, including a roundtable discussion with college students from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) and Florida State University (FSU). We also had a luncheon with Democratic Party leaders from Tallahassee, led by Congressman Al Lawson. Chairman Harrison confirmed that the National Party is not leaving Florida behind and will be investing in our state.

Winning again in Florida is possible, but it will require significant organizing and hard work to achieve our goals. As your Party Chair, I am proud to be working alongside each and every one of you to rebuild our party and secure victories in 2024. The alternative is what we currently see, and we cannot afford to continue on this path. Together, let's put in the effort to make sure our values and vision for the future of Florida are represented and successful.

Forward,

Nikki

Fried

Chair

Florida Democratic Party

DNC Visit

Thank you to Chair Harrison and Chair Martin, and to the students leaders from FSU, FAMU, and UF for joining us at our office in Tallahassee to discuss issues impacting FL's college students and how we can engage young voters as a party.

The Chairs also joined us to speak with local Black leaders and FAMU students in Tallahassee about the Biden-Harris administration’s accomplishments and the work ahead to continue to build on the progress we’ve made.

Chair's Travels

I was thrilled to join Kate Connolly in New Port Richey to support her campaign for Mayor! She is a dynamic candidate and the perfect fit to lead New Port Richey. Dems are working in every part of the state to build a bench and make a local impact. Keep up the great work, Pasco Dems!

I had the honor of joining student leaders in Tallahassee on Tuesday to rally against HB 999, a bill that would eliminate race and gender-based courses from Florida's college curriculum. I am proud of these young people for taking a stand and it is critical that we continue to stand with them against the Republican leadership in this state.

Thank you to Sumter Dems for having me join your gala last weekend! It was a pleasure to see a large Democratic crowd in The Villages, and join Congressman Maxwell Frost to rally the troops.

Occupy Tally 4/3

Occupy Tally calls all supporters of bodily autonomy to meet at City Hall in Tallahassee on Monday morning to protest the near-total abortion ban currently being considered in Florida's legislature. Meals and beverages will be provided.

Follow @OccupyTally23 on Twitter https://twitter.com/occupytally23

DEC & Caucus Highlights

Suwannee County:

On Monday, Director of Party Affairs Ric Gable conducted votebuilder training for new precinct members in Suwannee County. The primary focus was to reach out to Democratic supervoters and encourage their participation in the upcoming Spring Fling, with the ultimate goal of increasing their engagement in the party. I extend my sincere appreciation to all the hardworking DEC members in Suwannee County for their efforts. I look forward to seeing the positive impact of their work during the 2024 election.

Small County Coalition:

Congratulations to *Stacey Peters*, *Joe Adams*, *Bruce Carter*, and *Harold Williams* on their election to the Small County Coalition board. I am grateful for your commitment to our state party and the service you provide. I share your vision of empowering small counties and building robust county Democratic Executive Committees across Florida and look forward to working with each of you!

Sarasota:

The minutes from the previous Sarasota DEC meeting, which were forwarded to Party Affairs, revealed that the DEC has already gathered over 200 voter registrations so far this year. It's inspiring to see the Sarasota County DEC taking active measures by engaging with their community to emphasize the importance of voting. Congratulations to the Sarasota DEC team on a job well done! *I encourage all of our DECs, clubs, and caucuses to take just one hour this week to knock on doors in their neighborhood. Let's ensure our neighbors are registered to vote and signed up for Vote-by-Mail!*

Please remember to share meeting minutes with partyaffairs@floridadems.org and keep our team up to date on local efforts to gear up for municipal elections and 2024.

Vote-by-Mail

As we approach more municipal elections and draw closer to the 2024 campaign cycle, it is crucial that we prioritize the collection of Vote-by-Mail applications. Sadly, Republican voter suppression tactics have resulted in the disenfranchisement of numerous Floridians who would have otherwise been eligible to receive a Vote by Mail ballot. I urge everyone to take action by making phone calls, canvassing, and texting fellow Democrats to encourage them to reenroll in Vote-by-Mail.

Voters can check their Vote by Mail status on our website here. https://www.floridadems.org/get-involved/voting-in-florida/

Municipal Elections

Congratulations to Shelisa McCall won her seat by nearly 67% of the vote for Town Council in Century, Florida located in Escambia County! Thank you, Councilwoman McCall, for stepping up and serving your community.

Municipal Elections Upcoming:

April 4

Plant City

Miami Springs

Bal Harbor

April 11

Orange Park

New Port Richey

City of Port Richey

City San Antonio

Town of St. Leo

City of Zephyrhills

City of Alachua

Newberry

Miami Shores

Coral Gables

Annual DEC Compliance

A huge thank you to all the counties that have submitted their required compliance documents to the Office of Party Affairs. If your county has not submitted their required compliance documents, please send them ASAP to partyaffairs@floridadems.org. These documents are required by State Law and FDP Charter and Bylaws.

Below is a list of due dates for the of the compliance documents to be submitted to FDP. Again, these documents are past due if you have not sent them to Party Affairs. Please email partyaffairs@floridadems.org if you have any questions.

March 31, 2023:

Your County Democratic Executive Committee EIN Number.

*Note: We are going to compile a spreadsheet with the EIN numbers from all the DECs in case they are lost or forgotten. If you do not know your number, we will help you obtain that information.

April 1, 2023:

Audit of DEC income and expenses for the previous year.

*Note: Please share your audit with your DEC members.

April 1, 2023:

Remit 20% of clubs’ annual Party contribution to FDP, 201 S. Monroe St., Suite 300, Tallahassee, FL 32301 with "Club Party Contribution" noted in the memo field.

April 10, 2023; July 10, 2023; October 10, 2023; and January 10, 2024; and the Friday immediately proceeding each election:

Financial reports of all contributions received, including in-kind contributions, and all expenditures made during the previous quarter. Please contact your SOE to inquire about your county’s specific submission process.

Chair's Appointments

I am pleased to share the following leaders of the FDP Campaign Committee. Chair Danielle Hawk can be reached at danielle@daniellehawk.com. I look forward to sharing additional committee appointments soon.

Campaign Committee Chair Danielle Hawk, Alachua County

Campaign Committee Vice Chair Nikki Barnes, Wakulla County