Democratic Senate candidate Angie Nixon (D-Jacksonville) emphasized fixing the state's affordability crisis by addressing wealth inequality in an exclusive interview with The Floridian.
"People want a better Florida. Folks are working super hard right now, longer hours, multiple jobs at times, and they still just can't get ahead, and that is due to no fault of their own," Nixon said.
Rep. Nixon pointed to profit-over-people as the main factor in the disparity.
"It's actually due to a lot of corporate greed that's happening, and the fact that these big corporations have basically padded the campaign coffers of a lot of folks that are in power right now. The policies that are being pushed and passed only benefit these corrupt corporations and these greedy billionaires," Nixon added.
In addition, Rep. Nixon criticized the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 as "ridiculous." She also slammed Florida House Republicans for looking to reform the state's minimum wage in the past.
"Affordability is the number one issue right now, gas going up, the cost of groceries going up, people can't afford their health care," Nixon warned.
Rep. Nixon, who announced her run for Senate in January, mentioned speaking to multiple Floridians about not being able to afford their health care, including a woman having to refinance her home due to her cancer returning.
"I just think that hardworking everyday folks should get to determine what their communities and what their economies look like, and right now, the people that are doing it, and who are determining policies, are these really greedy billionaires and a lot of these corporations," Nixon said.
Nixon, who's competing against Alexander Vindman for the Democratic nomination, underscored her work as a community organizer as a pitch to voters for the August primary.
"This moment requires bold leadership, and unfortunately, like timid, status quo leadership is not going to beat Ashley Moody in November. I don't care how much establishment money is out there, and so I am making the case that we need someone who's going to galvanize and motivate and excite the base, as well as reach out to, you know, independents and Republicans."
A progressive Democrat, Nixon promised to fight for working families in her campaign video rollout. Nixon has been in the Florida House since 2022.
"We're reaching out to people to let them know my positions, and also to hear from them about what it is that they care about, what their aspirations are, what their hopes and dreams are, and also like what their fears are, some of their nightmares," Nixon said. "That's something that I would say that my opponent is not doing."
The primary is Aug. 18.
