Nikki Fried, the former Agriculture Commissioner of Florida, has been selected to be the next chairwoman of Florida's Democratic Party, The Hill reports. 

The executive committee of the state's Democratic Party selected Fried as their next leader during a vote that was held on Saturday.

Background

Florida's Democratic Party has been in trouble for some time now.

Back in 2008, when former President Barack Obama won the state, Florida Democrats had 700,000 more registered voters than Florida Republicans. Now, however, Florida Republicans have a 400,000 registered voter lead, which goes to show just how far Democrats have fallen in Florida.

The disparity was evidenced during the recently-held 2022 Midterm Elections, where Florida Republicans won big.

Behind the scenes, Florida Democrats, in recent years, have been dealing with various problems, including everything from financial difficulties to trying to figure out what strategies to use.

Recently, Manny Diaz suddenly tendered his resignation as the Florida Democratic Party's chairman. This is what prompted the election that was held on Saturday.

Fried wins

Four candidates have been vying to become the next chairperson of the Florida Democratic Party: Fried, former state Sen. Annette Taddeo (D), progressive activist Carolina Ampudia, and Broward County Democratic Party Chairman Rick Hoye.

Nonetheless, it was widely believed that only Fried or Taddeo had a real chance to win. And, Fried, indeed, came out on top, despite the fact that she had just recently entered the race, after previously claiming that she wanted no part of the job.

Fried celebrated the victory on Saturday, saying, "You better believe we are going to take it to [Florida Gov.] Ron DeSantis [R] every damn day."

Fox News further reports:

Following her victory, Fried told an exuberant room they would increase "low dollar donations" in the next election cycle and would launch a major contest against Ron DeSantis, who she also referred to as a "zealous fascist dictator." "When we are showing success, when we are showing that we got a plan for success, the donors will be here," said Fried.

A reality check

Fried is clearly trying to make the most of the situation. But, it would be an understatement to say that Florida Democratic Party chairperson is a job that no one wants.

Florida state senator Dwight Bullard recently put it this way: "For whoever becomes the party chair, it’s not going to be about celebrity. It’s going to be a thankless job."

“It’s going to be probably one of the most difficult jobs they take on,” he added.