DSA Florida state Rep. Angie Nixon upsets Trump impeachment witness Alex Vindman in special Senate primary
Far-left Florida state lawmaker Angie Nixon shocked retired Army Lt. Col. Alex Vindman in Tuesday night’s special Democratic Senate primary.
With 92% of the expected vote in, Nixon led Vindman, 55.9% to 44.1%, giving the far left a major success on an otherwise disappointing night in the Sunshine State.
Nixon is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, while Vindman served as a key witness in President Trump’s first impeachment trial over his demand that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky investigate then-former Vice President Joe Biden’s family business entanglements in exchange for the release of $400 million in military aid.
Nixon will take on incumbent Sen. Ashley Moody (R-Fla.) in November. The winner of that race will serve the remainder of the six-year term that Secretary of State Marco Rubio won in 2022.
Moody, the former attorney general of Florida, overcame token opposition in the Republican primary, netting nearly 80% of the vote.
Nixon, 42, has been a member of the Florida House of Representatives since 2020, representing parts of her hometown of Jacksonville.
Ahead of the primary, Nixon received endorsements from “Squad” Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.). Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.).
Nixon was also backed by pro-Palestinian children’s YouTuber Ms. Rachel and anti-Israel ex-Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.).
Like other far-left candidates in primaries around the country, Nixon has vowed to push for “Medicare for all,” abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and end US aid to Israel if elected.
Her victory came despite Vindman’s massive fundraising advantage and name recognition stemming from his role in Trump’s impeachment.
Vindman had raised more than $16 million for his failed campaign while Nixon took in a meager $975,000, according to Florida Politics.
The retired Army lieutenant colonel had fashioned himself as an anti-Trump attack dog, saying in his campaign launch video: “The last time you saw me was … swearing an oath to tell the truth about a president who broke his.”
However, with Trump having been acquitted by the Senate — then impeached and acquitted a second time in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot before winning a second term in an Electoral College landslide last year — many Florida Democrats seemed to believe that Vindman’s time had passed.
Nixon will be the underdog in the general election race against Moody, with a University of North Florida poll taken last month showing the Republican leading the challenger by eight percentage points.
