TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — State Rep. Angie Nixon and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders spoke to a crowd of more than 1,000 on Sunday at The Moon, a performing arts center and concert hall in Tallahassee. The two progressives joined hands and spoke to concerns about affordability, wealth inequality and the Trump administration’s actions just days before Nixon faces off against incumbent Sen. Ashley Moody in Florida’s Senate election.
Nixon made national headlines after defeating Alex Vindman, her more moderate opponent, in the Democratic Senate primary by more than 10 points despite being majorly outspent.
She made her pitch to voters at the rally, emphasizing concerns about affordability in a state where the cost of living has skyrocketed in recent years.
“We have the opportunity to build a new vision for our country this next 250 years, one where every family has stability, and every worker has dignity and every young person has the opportunity to reach the true American dream,” Nixon said.
Nixon also pushed back at Moody, her Republican opponent in the Senate race.
“And I am proud that I have never compromised my morals or been complicit in corrupt schemes like HOPE Florida,” Nixon said. “That is the biggest, the biggest, the biggest difference between me and lying, cheating, scheming, scamming Ashley Moody.”
Nixon was likely referring to the ongoing HOPE Florida scandal. A state grand jury found that in 2024, over $10 million from a Medicaid fraud settlement designated to HOPE Florida, a charity started in 2021 by Casey DeSantis, was instead diverted to politicial action committees. Moody was the attorney general of Florida at the time.
HOPE Florida describes its mission as serving as “a connection point for community collaboration between the public and private sector, faith-based communities and nonprofits.”
The report was never released to the public and was leaked to a Miami TV station. It was later ordered to be expunged by a Florida Appeals court panel who ruled that the grand jury had overstepped its authority.
At the rally, Nixon also reiterated her campaign platform points, placing emphasis on issues like affordability, healthcare, sustaining Social Security, ending wars and enhancing public education.
“They have billions and billions of dollars for war while telling working families there’s no money for healthcare, there’s no money for housing, there’s no money for childcare.”
Nixon was then joined by Bernie Sanders on stage who spoke about the importance of this election cycle.
“I am here because this is the most important midterm election in modern American history period,” Sanders said.
“We have a president who is the most dangerous president in the history of the United States,” Sanders stated as the crowd clapped. “This is a president who does not believe in Democracy.”
Sanders also spoke out in support of Nixon who had been a staffer for him during his 2016 campaign for president.
“After Angie wins, this is going to be a spark that is going to ignite the entire country,” he said. “Angie’s victory is going to get hope and inspiration to tens of millions of people.”
The Moon, a venue that holds about 1,500 people, reached its capacity and dozens were unable to enter. Nixon and Sanders spoke separately to a crowd outside made up of those who were unable to fit inside the concert hall, and a large screen showed them the speakers inside the venue.
Many attendees waited hours to see Nixon and Sanders and spoke about the importance of the event to them.
Natalie Berrie, a senior at Florida State University, spoke about the high the cost of living for many Americans and how rising costs are a top issue for her going into the midterm elections.
“The cost of living is just way too high,” Berrie said. “We have housing being built up and they’re like $1,000 a month and who can afford that? Who can afford groceries these days? I’m eating canned soup every day.” A report from Florida Tax Watch published earlier this year found that the cost of living in the state nearly quintupled over the last decade.
Berrie said that she was excited and hopeful to see Nixon speak.
“There’s been mention of mini Mamdanis popping up everywhere, and Angie Nixon is one of those people. … So, I’m hopeful.”
Jim Turner explained that a wide range of emotions brought him out to the rally.
“Indignation, fear, anger, hopelessness and hope,” Turner said.
While Turner said that he was lucky enough to reap the benefits of growing up at a certain time, he expressed worry that younger people may not be able to enjoy the same life he has.
“My grandson’s generation, he’s 27 and he’s a lawyer … [but] he’s going to be struggling to have that American golden dream.”
Later in the night, Nixon spoke to reporters and looked back on her now-famous moment when she used a megaphone to protest redistricting in the Florida house and her subsequent arrest during a sit-in protest.
“What it says about the state of our country right now is that there’s a lot of corruption that’s happening,” Nixon said. “The MAGA Republicans want to control everything that we do. They don’t want to allow the people to decide what their communities or economy should look like”
Nixon continued, offering a pitch to voters.
“We can change this if people come together and organize like they used to do back in the Civil Rights days.”
Justin Jordan is editor-in-chief of The FAMUAN at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Florida. The FAMUAN and HUNewsService.com are among 10 HBCU newsrooms in the Indaba Student Press Leadership and Innovation Consortium, sponsored by the Center for Journalism & Democracy at Howard University.
