TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — As Florida Republicans grapple with internal tensions and legislative gridlock, state Democrats are quietly working to revive their struggling political brand — and that could include opening their primaries to independent voters.
Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried confirmed Thursday that the party is actively discussing reforms, including potentially allowing non-party-affiliated voters to cast ballots in Democratic primaries. The move, she said, is aimed at better representing the state’s growing number of independent voters and could be a key part of the party’s long-term rebuilding strategy.
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“There's a lot of people that are in the middle, that are typically part of our coalition,” Fried said. “A lot more Black and Brown men have become independent. The younger generation has become independent. And so we are going to rise to this moment.”
Dem staff acknowledged that the proposal isn’t expected to affect the 2026 midterms and might require legal or legislative action to take effect. Still, it’s a notable shift as the party looks to reassert itself after years of Republican dominance.
The conversation comes as Florida Republicans endure a turbulent legislative session marked by infighting between Governor Ron DeSantis and GOP House leadership. With no budget, no tax cuts, and no major insurance reform finalized, Democrats have been watching from the sidelines — but not without their own internal drama.
Three Democratic legislators have recently left the party. One of them, former Senate Minority Leader Jason Pizzo, was blunt in his criticism.
“The Democratic Party in Florida is dead,” Pizzo said on the chamber floor last month. “But there are good people that can resuscitate it, but they don't want it to be me."
Fried dismissed Pizzo’s departure as driven by “personal ambitions,” saying, “We move on.”
Despite the criticism, Fried remains bullish on the party’s chances in 2026 and beyond.
“We know that the midterms are going to be a blue wave. Like there's no way around that,” she said, citing national economic volatility, trade wars, and polling showing tight GOP margins in special elections.
Fried also pointed to high-profile appearances at the upcoming Leadership Blue conference by U.S. Sen. Cory Booker and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear as signs the national party still sees Florida as a battleground.
Republicans, however, remain confident in their dominance, pointing to their substantial lead in voter registrations and the structural challenges of low-turnout special elections.
“We have big wins, big turnout in November,” said Florida GOP Chair Evan Power. “Getting people to turn around and try to vote a couple of months later is hard.”
Even so, Fried says Democrats aren’t relying solely on national headwinds.
“We have to have that serious conversation about opening up our primaries,” she said. “I also don't believe it's constitutional how we do what we're doing right now — that one-third of our state doesn't have a say in who their candidates are.”
She added that changing that system is just one part of a larger plan to bring Florida Democrats “back on the map.”
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