Ocasio-Cortez Expresses Support for Progressive Candidates in Florida

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez from New York conveyed her eagerness to return to Florida, signaling her intent to aid socialist candidates in the state.

She extended her endorsement to Angie Nixon, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), who is running for a Senate seat in Florida.

When questioned about her plans to visit Florida to support Nixon and other progressives, including Pia Dandiya, who is the Democratic nominee for the 22nd Congressional District, Ocasio-Cortez expressed enthusiasm about her upcoming trip. “Yeah, I mean, we’ll see,” she shared, adding that she is open to being wherever people want her during this campaign season.

Ocasio-Cortez criticized Republicans for attacking Nixon, alleging they are “trying to dig a new low.” This is interesting because Nixon has, at times, distanced herself from her socialist roots, despite being active in that community.

“We need to be focusing on healthcare and wages, but they want us to engage in these racially charged and bigoted discussions,” Ocasio-Cortez pointed out, while highlighting Nixon as someone making history in her own way.

Nixon recently voiced her opposition to her rival, Senator Ashley Moody, characterizing her as a socialist. “You know, when voices start getting squeaky, often that means someone’s not being honest. Ashley Moody knows I’m not a socialist,” Nixon insisted, claiming her views align with DSA primarily on issues like public housing and healthcare.

She also asserted that her association with DSA shouldn’t be a distraction for voters.

Nixon, known for opening a café in Jacksonville called “Cafe Resistance”—born from a need for safe spaces—has also made references to quotes from Assata Shakur during her campaign, although she has chosen to omit the context of those quotes since receiving her nomination.

Speaking at a Miami church, Nixon remarked, “We have nothing to lose but our chains.” She lamented on the funds spent on nonessential initiatives while healthcare for the needy is neglected and criticized the closing of public schools to support private education.

Nixon has also been known for some, let’s say, dramatic social media presence, once linking a nosebleed to the stress of interacting with Republican colleagues. However, an eyewitness account from a Florida lawmaker described an incident where Nixon reportedly got a nosebleed while picking her nose in the Capitol.

Beyond these instances, Nixon is advocating for comprehensive public education, mass amnesty, the end of mass incarceration, and other significant reforms as part of her campaign platform.