Nikki Fried | |
---|---|
Chair of the Florida Democratic Party | |
Assumed office February 25, 2023 | |
Preceded by | Manny Diaz |
12th Agriculture Commissioner of Florida | |
In office January 8, 2019 – January 3, 2023 | |
Governor | Ron DeSantis |
Preceded by | Adam Putnam |
Succeeded by | Wilton Simpson |
Personal details | |
Born | Nicole Heather Fried December 13, 1977 Miami, Florida, U.S. |
Political party | Democratic (2005–present)[1] |
Domestic partner | Jake Bergmann (engaged) |
Education | University of Florida (BA, MA, JD) |
Signature | |
Website | Campaign website |
Nicole Heather Fried (/friːd/ FREED;[2] born December 13, 1977) is an American lawyer and politician who has served as the chair of the Florida Democratic Party since 2023. Prior to her election as chair, Fried served as the 12th Florida commissioner of agriculture from 2019 to 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, Fried graduated from the University of Florida in 2003. She has previously practiced various forms of law, including corporate law, foreclosure defense, and public defense. Fried has also been a prominent lobbyist for the marijuana industry in the state of Florida.
She won the 2018 Florida commissioner of agriculture election, narrowly defeating state representative Matt Caldwell by less than 7,000 votes out of over eight million votes cast, a margin of 0.08%. Fried is the first woman to be elected to the position and was the only Democrat to win a statewide race in the 2018 Florida elections. During her tenure, she redesigned gas pump stickers, promoted a Florida gun law bill, partook in Florida v. Georgia over waters within the ACF River Basin, and appointed two lobbyists for the Florida Sugar Cane League.
Fried was selected as one of 17 speakers to jointly deliver the keynote address at the 2020 Democratic National Convention. She did not seek re-election in 2022, instead running in the 2022 Florida gubernatorial election. Fried was defeated in the Democratic primary by U.S. representative and former Republican governor Charlie Crist.
Early life and education
Nicole Heather Fried was born December 13, 1977,[3] in Miami, Florida, to Ronald, an attorney, and Lori, a stay-at-home mother. Her parents divorced when she was 13, leaving Fried and her younger sister to be raised primarily by their mother, who became a preschool teacher after the divorce. Fried graduated from Miami Palmetto High School.[4][5]
Fried graduated from the University of Florida, where she was student body president and a member of Florida Blue Key, receiving her bachelor's degree in political science and her master's degree in political campaigning.[6][7] In 2003, she received her Juris Doctor from the University of Florida.[6]
Career
After graduating, Fried worked at the law firm of Holland & Knight in Jacksonville, alongside Ashley Moody, a friend of Fried from the University of Florida who would later serve alongside her as the Florida Attorney General.[5][8] Unhappy working as a corporate lawyer, Fried left Holland & Knight in 2006 and became a public defender for Florida's 8th circuit court, which covers much of North Central Florida, including Alachua County.[4]
Fried was a foreclosure defense lawyer from 2009 until 2011, when she joined the law and lobbying firm of Colodny Fass.[6][9] Among her major clients as a lobbyist were the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority, the Walt Disney Company, Duke Energy, and HCA Healthcare.[6]
In 2016, Fried established her own lobbying firm, called Igniting Florida, in Broward County.[10] Her main clients were the School Board of Broward County and the statewide medical marijuana industry, which had recently blossomed following the passage of Florida Amendment 2, which legalized medical marijuana, in the 2016 elections.[4][6]
Florida commissioner of agriculture and consumer services
2018 election
Fried won the Democratic nomination for Florida commissioner of agriculture in 2018, easily defeating Jeff Porter, the mayor of Homestead and R. David Walker, an environmental activist, despite her primary opponents criticizing her for her past campaign contributions to Republicans.[11][12]
In the general election, Fried faced off against the Republican nominee Matt Caldwell, a state representative from North Fort Myers.[13] Fried ran on a platform in favor of removing obstacles to medical marijuana in Florida.[14] She described herself as "a fierce advocate for expanding access to medical marijuana for suffering Floridians",[15] and called for placing regulation of medical marijuana under the jurisdiction of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services rather than the Florida Department of Health.[16]
During the campaign, Fried also pledged to "ensure full background checks are completed on gun permits",[15] a task which falls under the jurisdiction of the Florida Department of Agriculture.[16] Fried endorsed Amendment 4, a ballot initiative which restores voting rights for felons, excluding murderers and felony sex offenders.[17][18]
On August 19, 2018, Wells Fargo announced it was closing Fried's campaign bank account because of her ties with medical marijuana.[19] Fried's campaign transferred the $137,000 in the account to a new bank account with BB&T.[20] However, on August 29, 2018, BB&T also announced the closure of Fried's campaign bank account on the same grounds.[21]
Fried was endorsed by the Tampa Bay Times,[17] the Sun Sentinel,[22] and the Palm Beach Post.[23] Fried also received the endorsements of the Sierra Club, Equality Florida, Everytown for Gun Safety,[24] and the Brady Campaign, while Caldwell received the endorsements of business and industry groups, including the Florida Farm Bureau, the Florida Chamber of Commerce, and the Associated Industries of Florida.[25]
Fried defeated Caldwell by an extremely narrow margin. While initial returns on Election Day showed Caldwell in the lead, by the completion of the count, Fried had narrowly taken the lead with a margin of just 0.06% of votes separating the two candidates.[26] Following both a machine recount and a manual recount, Fried ultimately defeated Caldwell by 6,753 votes (0.08%) out of over eight million votes cast.[27] Fried became the first Democrat to win the Florida Commissioner of Agriculture position since 1998, as well as becoming the only woman elected to the position. She was also the only Democratic candidate to win a statewide race in Florida in 2018.[25]
Tenure
Shortly after entering office in 2019, Fried's office redesigned the Florida Department of Agriculture's certified gas pump stickers, which verify to customers the gas pump is state approved. Previous commissioners had put their own names on the stickers for decades, but Fried was the first to put a color photograph of herself on the sticker. The Republican Party of Florida accused Fried of using taxpayer funds to increase her political exposure, and the Florida Legislature quickly passed a law limiting the taxpayer-funded stickers to only "a combination of lettering, numbering, words, or the department logo". The stickers were quickly replaced with a new design that did not have her photograph.[28][29]
Fried opposed the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement, the free trade agreement that officially replaced the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement, on the basis that it contained insufficient protections for Florida farmers.[30][31]
Fried also crafted legislation with Democratic state representative Javier Fernandez targeting Florida gun laws. The bill, HB 809, would have required retention of fingerprint records, require proof of completion of firearms safety training for a license to be renewed and reduce the term for a concealed-weapons permit from seven to five years. It did not pass the legislature in 2019.[32]
In August 2019, the Florida Department of Agriculture appointed two registered lobbyists for the Florida Sugar Cane League to consult on the Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual Project Delivery Team, which was set to advise the United States Army Corps of Engineers on procedures for lake levels.[33] Environmentalists called for lake levels to be lowered to prevent harmful discharges and red tides, while the sugar industry advocated for keeping levels high to avoid the threat of low water supply for farmers and municipalities. Republican U.S. representative Brian Mast, whose district includes part of Lake Okeechobee, sent a letter to the Army Corps of Engineers seeking the lobbyists' removal, alleging the appointments were an attempt to force sugar industry influence into the process.[34] Seven Florida environmental groups, including Friends of the Everglades and Everglades Trust, called for the members to be removed and criticized their appointment.[33] While Fried originally defended the appointments as expert consultants, she later fired their consulting firm and removed them from working on the project.[35]
In December 2019, Fried abstained from a cabinet vote for the nominee for commissioner of the Florida Office of Financial Regulation, Russell Weigel. However, Florida state law states that cabinet officials can not abstain from cabinet votes unless there is a conflict of interest. Fried said she had concerns over the transparency of the nomination and said her interpretation of the law did not mandate her to vote yes or no.[36]
In 2020, Fried's office requested and was granted federal waivers to provide free meals to students, despite schools being closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[37]
Later in 2020, Fried partly delivered the keynote address at the 2020 Democratic National Convention, joining 16 other speakers designated as "rising stars".[38][39] Fried critiqued President Donald Trump's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and reiterated the Democratic Party's commitment to fighting climate change.[39][40]
Florida v. Georgia
Beginning in 2018, Fried was engaged in a lawsuit against the state of Georgia, claiming it was siphoning too much water for use from the Flint River, a part of the Apalachicola River system, which flows south into Florida before draining into Apalachicola Bay.[41] The lawsuit alleged that Georgia's use of too much water caused an increase in salinity in the Apalachicola Bay estuary, subsequently causing the collapse of the estuary's oyster fishery, resulting in income and job losses of 98% of the value of Florida's oyster industry.[42][43]
The lawsuit, initiated by the state of Florida in 2013 following a series of droughts, was dismissed in 2016 by special master appointed by the United States Supreme Court. However, the Supreme Court ruled 5–4 in Florida v. Georgia (2018) that the case should be reheard and reviewed.[43]
In April 2021, the Supreme Court ruled 9–0 in favor of Georgia in Florida v. Georgia (2021).[44] The unanimous opinion, written by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, stated that Fried had not provided sufficient evidence that Georgia's water use had resulted in the oyster fisheries' collapse.[45][46] Fried had chosen not to present the testimony of either oceanographers or marine biologists, instead relying only on reports from hydrologists and statisticians.[45]
2022 Florida gubernatorial election
On June 1, 2021, Fried declared her candidacy for governor of Florida in the 2022 Florida gubernatorial election.[47] She lost to Charlie Crist, a U.S. representative and the former governor of Florida, in the Democratic primary.[48]
Before her entry into the race, Fried heavily criticized DeSantis, calling him an "authoritarian dictator who is borderline fascist",[49] and attacked him for his response to the COVID-19 pandemic,[50] as well as his signing of an election reform bill that she called voter suppression.[51][52] Fried also criticized the "rigged system in Florida",[53] which she called corrupt and anti-democratic.[54]
Fried differentiated herself from Crist, who has been a politician since his election to the Florida Senate in 1992,[55] by taking the campaign slogan "Something New".[56] She described Crist's former affiliation with the Republican Party and criticized him for his support for tough-on-crime legislation throughout his career.[57] Fried blamed Crist for creating Florida's contemporary unemployment system, which collapsed during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, the system was not created by Crist, but by his gubernatorial successor Rick Scott.[57][58]
Chair of Florida Democratic Party
On April 3, 2023, Fried, now the chair of the Florida Democratic Party, was arrested alongside Lauren Book, the minority leader of the Florida Senate, following a protest of an anti-abortion bill being considered by state lawmakers.[59] The bill would ban abortions after six weeks.[59] Fried and ten others were arrested for trespassing after the Tallahassee Police Department instructed them to disperse by sunset, which they did not do.[59]
Electoral history
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Nikki Fried | 826,009 | 58.6 | |
Democratic | R. David Walker | 359,081 | 25.5 | |
Democratic | Jeff Porter | 223,299 | 15.9 | |
Total votes | 1,408,389 | 100.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Nikki Fried | 4,032,954 | 50.04% | +0.08% | |
Republican | Matt Caldwell | 4,026,201 | 49.96% | -0.08% | |
Total votes | 8,059,155 | 100.00% | N/A | ||
Democratic gain from Republican |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Charlie Crist | 904,524 | 59.7 | |
Democratic | Nikki Fried | 535,480 | 35.3 | |
Democratic | Cadance Daniel | 38,198 | 2.5 | |
Democratic | Robert L. Willis | 36,786 | 2.4 | |
Total votes | 1,514,988 | 100.0 |
Personal life
Fried is vocal about her practice of Judaism.[63] While in high school, she was a participant in B'nai B'rith, a Jewish service organization. Fried also actively considered making aliyah to Israel and joining the Israel Defense Forces.[64] After her election as agriculture commissioner, Fried was sworn into office using the first Hebrew Bible published in the United States.[65]
Fried is a registered medical marijuana cardholder in the state of Florida.[66] In 2023 she was named to the board of directors of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML).[67]
Relationship with Jake Bergmann
Fried's fiancé, Jake Bergmann, is a prominent marijuana entrepreneur in Florida.[68] Her relationship with him has been criticized as a conflict of interest, as Bergmann's business often results in dealings with the Florida Department of Agriculture.[69][70]
In June 2020, Fried and Bergmann engaged in a verbal argument at a hotel in Fort Lauderdale resulting from a car accident in the hotel's parking lot. A security guard who witnessed the incident claimed Bergmann threw a trash can and shoved Fried, though Fried denies the latter.[71][72] Fort Lauderdale Police Department escorted Bergmann off the property and a formal police report was filed; no arrest was made.[73] Following the incident, Fried denied Bergmann was physically abusive to her and replaced a number of high-level staffers who criticized him.[74][75]
References
- ↑ "Nicole Heather Fried from Tallahassee, Florida | VoterRecords.com". voterrecords.com. Archived from the original on May 11, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
- ↑ "Name Pronunciation". MSNBC. Archived from the original on March 5, 2021. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
- ↑ Putney, Michael (December 13, 2020). "This Week in South Florida: Nikki Fried". WPLG. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
- 1 2 3 Garcia, Jason (February 25, 2019). "Nikki Fried: Florida's new agriculture commissioner". Florida Trend. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- 1 2 Gross, Samantha J. (September 24, 2018). "Meet Nicole "Nikki" Fried, the marijuana lobbyist and Fort Lauderdale attorney running for agriculture commissioner". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on June 15, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Sweeney, Dan (November 22, 2018). "Where does Nikki Fried go from here?". South Florida Sun Sentinel. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ↑ Dunkelberger, Lloyd (February 27, 2019). "The boys of 'Old Florida' make way for the women". Florida Phoenix. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
- ↑ Gross, Samantha J. (June 1, 2021). "Nikki Fried, Florida's lone statewide elected Democrat, is running for governor". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
- ↑ Schorsch, Peter (June 3, 2016). "Personnel note: Nikki Fried to open own firm". Florida Politics – Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
- ↑ "Nikki Fried's 1-week-old launch video is still making waves on social media … for better or worse". Florida Politics. June 9, 2021. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
- ↑ Ritchie, Bruce (August 8, 2018). "Democratic ag commissioner candidate donated to Republicans". Politico. Archived from the original on May 4, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ↑ Pittman, Craig (August 28, 2018). "Broward attorney Nikki Fried wins Democratic nomination for Agriculture commissioner". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ↑ Dorsey, David (November 19, 2018). "Matt Caldwell of North Fort Myers concedes defeat in Florida's agriculture commissioner race". Fort Myers News-Press. Archived from the original on July 10, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
- ↑ Peters, Xander (October 30, 2018). "Nikki Fried, fellow Democratic candidates call for a state-run bank to manage medical cannabis funds". Orlando Weekly. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- 1 2 Derby, Kevin (November 12, 2018). "As Recount Continues, Agriculture Commission Candidates Make Their Moves – Florida Daily". Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
- 1 2 Weiss, Jessica (October 19, 2018). "Agriculture Commissioner Candidates Discuss Medical Marijuana, Guns". WLRN-TV. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- 1 2 "Times recommends: Nikki Fried for agriculture commissioner". Tampa Bay Times. October 4, 2018. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ↑ Lopez, German (November 6, 2018). "Florida votes to restore ex-felon voting rights with Amendment 4". Vox. Archived from the original on June 16, 2021. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
- ↑ Rohrer, Gray (August 20, 2018). "Wells Fargo stops banking with Nikki Fried over medical marijuana". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
- ↑ Flitter, Emily (August 21, 2018). "A Candidate Backed Medical Marijuana. Wells Fargo Closed Her Bank Account". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on June 25, 2021. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
- ↑ Gross, Samantha J. (September 6, 2018). "Bank closes candidate's campaign account because of medical marijuana ties — again". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
- ↑ "Nikki Fried offers ideas, Matt Caldwell offers the usual, in race for Florida Agriculture Commissioner | Editorial". South Florida Sun Sentinel. October 2, 2018. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ↑ Editorial: Fried offers fresh direction as Agriculture Commissioner Archived November 11, 2018, at the Wayback Machine, Palm Beach Post (October 1, 2018).
- ↑ Pinsky, Mark I. (December 24, 2018). "Nikki Fried Rides Anti-Gun Wave To Unlikely Win In Divided Florida". The Jewish Daily Forward. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
- 1 2 Ritchie, Bruce (November 19, 2021). "Caldwell concedes agriculture commissioner race after manual recount shows Fried winner". Politico. Archived from the original on July 10, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ↑ Gross, Samantha J. (November 10, 2018). "Fried declares victory in Cabinet race, announces transition team ahead of recount". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ↑ Ogles, Jacob (June 1, 2021). "'Something new': Nikki Fried officially launches campaign for Governor". Florida Politics. Archived from the original on June 25, 2021. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
- ↑ Ogles, Jacob (February 19, 2020). "Face off: New Nikki Fried stickers continue popping up statewide". Florida Politics. Archived from the original on May 12, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ↑ Turner, Jim (February 3, 2020). "Nikki Fried gas pump stickers spark dispute with Florida House GOP". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on April 13, 2020. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
- ↑ "Nikki Fried blasts Donald Trump over trade policies". Florida Politics. August 6, 2019. Archived from the original on August 6, 2019. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
- ↑ Turner, Jim (December 20, 2019). "Nikki Fried remains opposed to trade deal". Florida Politics. Archived from the original on December 21, 2019. Retrieved December 20, 2019.
- ↑ Ogles, Jacob (December 1, 2019). "Nikki Fried, Javier Fernandez want loopholes closed on concealed weapons permits". Florida Politics. Archived from the original on June 3, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- 1 2 Treadway, Tyler (January 13, 2020). "Environmental groups join Mast, want sugar lobbyists off Lake Okeechobee planning panel". Treasure Coast Newspapers. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ↑ "Mast: Sugar Lobbyists Getting "Special Access and Influence" Over Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual". Treasure Coast. January 9, 2020. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ↑ Treadway, Tyler (February 3, 2020). "Agriculture Commissioner Fires, takes consultants tied to sugar farmers off Lake Panel". Treasure Coast Newspapers. Archived from the original on July 10, 2021. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
- ↑ Downey, Renzo (December 5, 2019). "Florida GOP accuses Nikki Fried of ignoring law in Russell Weigel vote". Florida Politics. Archived from the original on February 25, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ↑ Neal, David J. (March 15, 2020). "Where some Floridians can get free meals for their children while schools are closed". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on March 16, 2020. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
- ↑ Contorno, Steve (August 18, 2020). "Florida's Nikki Fried gets national spotlight at Democratic convention. What does she have to say?". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
- 1 2 Klas, Mary Ellen (August 18, 2020). "Fried's cameo at Democratic convention is used to suggest Florida can turn from red to blue". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
- ↑ Powers, Scott (August 16, 2020). "Nikki Fried gets piece of Democratic National Convention keynote". Florida Politics. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
- ↑ "Supreme Court gives Georgia win in water war with Florida". WCTV. April 1, 2021. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ↑ Etters, Karl (July 2, 2020). "No more half-shells? State may pause Apalachicola Bay oyster harvest until 2025". Tallahassee Democrat. Archived from the original on July 10, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- 1 2 "U.S. Supreme Court: Florida loses 'water war' with Georgia over alleged overuse". Tallahassee Democrat. April 1, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ↑ "Ag Commissioner Fried on Water Wars Ruling". Southeast AgNET. April 2, 2021. Archived from the original on May 19, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- 1 2 Wheeler, Emma (April 1, 2021). "'It's a sad thing': Supreme Court sides with Georgia over Apalachicola water wars". WCTV. Archived from the original on May 19, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on April 21, 2021. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ↑ Mazzei, Patricia (June 1, 2021). "Florida's Democratic agricultural commissioner, Nikki Fried, announces her bid for governor". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
- ↑ Burke, Peter (June 1, 2021). "'I'm unafraid. I'm tested. I'm ready.' Nikki Fried to run for governor in 2022". WPTV. Archived from the original on June 18, 2021. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
- ↑ Detman, Gary (May 6, 2021). "Commissioner Fried calls DeSantis a 'dictator' for signing voter suppression bill". WPEC. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
- ↑ Rynor, Morgan (June 9, 2021). "How Nikki Fried says she'd have handled pandemic in Florida". WINK-TV. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
- ↑ Dixon, Matt (May 5, 2021). "Florida's Agriculture commissioner outlines attack strategy against DeSantis ahead of likely challenge". Politico. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
- ↑ Powers, Scott (March 25, 2021). "Nikki Fried, Black pastors call voter bills racist, voter suppression". Florida Politics. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
- ↑ Rohrer, Gray (June 1, 2021). "Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried files to run for governor in Florida". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
- ↑ Anderson, Zac (June 1, 2021). "Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried announces campaign for governor". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
- ↑ Harbaugh, Madison (June 8, 2021). "DeSantis is formidable opponent in Governor's race". WMNF. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
- ↑ Cotterell, Bill (June 13, 2021). "Candidates want to put the best foot forward". Tallahassee Democrat. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
- 1 2 Rynor, Morgan (June 8, 2021). "Fried confident in Democratic primary bid for gubernatorial race". WINK-TV. Archived from the original on June 18, 2021. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
- ↑ Ogles, Jacob (June 9, 2021). "Nikki Fried wrongly attributes failed unemployment system to Charlie Crist". Florida Politics. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
- 1 2 3 "Two Democratic officials among 11 arrested at protest against Florida's abortion ban". The Guardian. April 5, 2023. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
- ↑ "August 28, 2018 Primary Election Democratic Primary". Florida Department of State. Archived from the original on March 15, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ↑ "November 6, 2018 General Election". Florida Department of State. Archived from the original on April 12, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ↑ "August 23, 2022 Primary Election Democratic Primary". Florida Department of State. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
- ↑ Kampeas, Ron (June 2, 2021). "Florida's Jewish agricultural commissioner announces run for governor". The Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on June 20, 2021. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
- ↑ Kassel, Matthew (May 18, 2020). "Florida's only statewide elected Democrat is a 42-year-old Jewish rising star". Jewish Insider. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ↑ Shimron, Yonat (January 9, 2019). "Florida agriculture commissioner sworn in on nation's first Hebrew Bible". Times of Israel. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
- ↑ Ogles, Jacob (April 14, 2021). "Nikki Fried flashes medical marijuana card in latest hype video". Florida Politics. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
- ↑ "NORML Welcomes New Members to Its Board of Directors". NORML. March 28, 2023. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
- ↑ "Conflict? Former medical marijuana entrepreneur engaged to Florida Ag Commissioner". The Florida Times-Union. December 10, 2019. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ↑ Stewart, Steve (July 9, 2019). "Nikki Fried's Net Worth Increases 416%, Tied to Former Cannabis Exec". Tallahassee Reports. Archived from the original on May 31, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ↑ Stewart, Steve (March 4, 2021). "Nikki Fried's Connections to New Cannabis Company Raise Questions". Tallahassee Reports. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ↑ Fort Lauderdale Police Department (June 19, 2020). "FLPD Bodycam". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on November 13, 2020. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
- ↑ Caputo, Marc; Sarkissian, Arek (June 18, 2020). "Florida's top Democrat purges 'inner circle' after police escort her fiancé from hotel". Politico. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ↑ "Fort Lauderdale Police Department – Incident Report". politico.com. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
- ↑ Smiley, David (June 19, 2020). "Fort Lauderdale cops tell Florida agriculture commissioner's fiance to leave resort after 'disturbances'". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ↑ Schorsch, Peter (June 23, 2020). "Nikki Fried sends horrible message on domestic abuse". Florida Politics. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.