U.S. Senate candidate Angie Nixon and journalist, political commentator and television host Joy Reid at The Sanctuary Church in Fort Lauderdale (Photo courtesy of FACEBOOK).

By David L. Snelling
South Florida Times

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Democrats’ chances of flipping seats during the midterm elections are improving due to President Donald Trump’s low approval rating over the war with Iran, high gas, oil and food prices, a struggling economy and immigration.

According to journalist, political commentator and television host Joy Reid, U.S. Senate candidate Angie Nixon, who is challenging incumbent Ashley Moody in Florida, might pull off another upset victory similar to the Democratic primary when she was the underdog and outspent 16-1 in campaign contributions.

She raised $975,000 to Alex Vindman’s $16.3 million

Vindman is a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel best known for his 2019 testimony in the Trump–Ukraine impeachment inquiry, where he served as Director of European Affairs on the National Security Council.

Reid, a former national correspondent for MSNBC and is best known for hosting the political commentary program The Reid Out from 2020 to 2025, was in Fort Lauderdale this week to interview Nixon, 42, on stage during a political rally at The Sanctuary Church.

During an exclusive interview with the South Florida Times, Reid said she conducted the interview in Broward County for voters who might not be familiar with Nixon and her political platform ahead of the November 3 election.

“We’re doing it here for people to get to know her in South Florida,” Reid said. “Interviewing her in front of a crowd to interest voters is a good thing.”

Some Democrats were pessimistic over Nixon’s chances since she’s a socialist which could impact Hispanic voters, using a bullhorn to denounce the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature’s redistricting vote and staging a sit-in at Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office and subsequent arrest.

But Reid said Nixon, a former state representative from Jacksonville, is a bright political star similar to Barack Obama’s rise in the U.S. Senate before he became U.S. President.

“I have seen and observed a number of campaigns including in Florida, and no candidate can generate energy and excitement more than Angie Nixon,” Reid said. “Like Barack Obama, she he has a compelling life story, and she brings that same energy. Her background makes her a unique candidate, and no one is better suited for the seat than Angie Nixon.”

Reid entered the circle of Nixon’s supporters during the rally and learned they are overprotective of the candidate, especially after the attacks from Republicans, accusing her of advocating to abolish the police, defund the military and empty prisons.

But Reid indicated Moody is no saint.

Reid said Moody, who was Florida’s attorney general at the time, helped steal $10 million of taxpayers’ money by steering it into Hope for Florida which was used to finance political campaigns in 2024.

The Hope Florida scandal centers on the misappropriation of $10 million of a $67 million from a Medicaid settlement that Florida officials diverted through the Hope Florida Foundation into political committees tied to DeSantis and Attorney General James Uthmeier, primarily to fight the 2024 recreational marijuana Amendment 3.

Moody’s office approved the $10 million to divert the money to Hope for Florida.

“She stole from the poor people from Florida,” Reid said.

Reid said immigration is the focus of the race following President Trump’s mass illegal immigration deportation operation that has sent nearly 1 million people back to their homelands and countries they never had any ties to.

As a result, Reid said deportation has threatened the workforce for the hospitality and agriculture industries.

She also said Trump turned his back on Hispanics who voted for him in 2024 by stripping them of their deportation protection, cutting her healthcare benefits and creating education funding barriers.

“That is part of the reason Democrats have an opportunity in November,” Reid said. “The combination of the economy and administration policies that impact the workforce in Florida for Black and Brown people, Cubans and other Hispanics could be a key factor in November. The policies are bad for Republicans right now.”

According to Wikipedia, Nixon is a member of the Working Families Party and the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).

Nixon and her brother were raised in the Moncrief neighborhood of Jacksonville, Florida, by a single mother, who worked two jobs to support the family.

She attended Stanton College Preparatory School and graduated from the University of Florida in 2007 with a degree in political science.

In 2008, the year after graduating from college, Nixon ran unsuccessfully for the Jacksonville City Council.

She went on to work as an aide to Mia Jones when Jones was the representative from the 14th district.

In the 2020 elections, Nixon defeated incumbent Kimberly Daniels, who was seeking re-election to the Florida House of Representatives to represent District 14, covering part of Duval County, in the Democratic Party primary election.

In June 2026, Nixon joined the DSA and reporters questioned her affiliation.

“I don’t fully align with anybody’s full platform 100 percent, not even the Democratic Party,” she said. “The reason I joined the organization was because they believe we should have access to quality healthcare. They believe that we should have quality access to quality housing and fully funded public schools.”

Nixon opposed the Iran war and criticized its costs.

“We are jeopardizing the lives of American service members and Iranian civilians,” she said.

Nixon said in August 2026 that she would have voted to cut $3.3 billion in aid to Israel.

“We cannot continue to send money to countries that are violating international law, that are violating human rights,” she said.

On Nixon joining the DSA, Reid said to her, Nixon is an “aggressive Democrat.”

“Just because you are partisan, you don’t always do what Democrats want,” Reid said. “She believes people deserve better healthcare, keeping tax money in Florida and not spending it on foreign wars.”

Reid said federal and state policies have left Floridians reeling.

She said some Floridians are seeking an exodus over the declining economy, high food prices and school districts losing thousands and thousands of students.

“People want to get out of Florida but can’t sell their homes because of the inflation rate,” she said. “Florida’s inflation is higher than New York.”