Florida state Rep. Angie Nixon does not describe herself as a traditional politician. She calls herself a community organizer and public servant who wants working families to have a direct role in shaping federal policy.
During an interview on That Part Podcast, Nixon said the person voters see on the campaign trail is the same wife, mother, small business owner and organizer her family and community see every day.
“I don’t consider myself a politician,” Nixon said. “I consider myself a public servant, an elected official who’s a community organizer.”
Nixon is seeking the Democratic nomination in Florida’s special election for the U.S. Senate. She faces Alex Vindman in the Aug. 18 primary, with the winner advancing to challenge Republican U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody in November.
A Jacksonville native, Nixon has worked as a community organizer for nearly two decades. She represents District 13 in the Florida House and previously led Florida for All, a statewide coalition focused on voter engagement and organizing.
Nixon is also a small business owner. She described her bookstore and coffee shop as a third space that offers community resources, including a food pantry, mental health information and reproductive health supplies.
Her life as a mother of five and her experiences with working families across Florida shape her campaign, she said. Before entering the Senate race, Nixon traveled across more than 30 counties and asked residents what they wanted from Washington.
“My budget is a people’s budget,” Nixon said. “It’s a people’s agenda because it comes from the people.”
Affordability is one of the central issues in her campaign. Nixon said federal leaders can lower costs by expanding health coverage, confronting corporate ownership of housing and requiring wealthy individuals and corporations to pay more in taxes.
On health care, she supports extending enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies and eventually establishing Medicare for All. Nixon said insurance companies should not be able to deny medication or treatment because providing care affects their profits.
“Health care is a right,” Nixon said. “No one should have to go bankrupt or die because they can’t afford quality health care.”
Nixon said the government already bears the cost when uninsured patients rely on emergency rooms instead of receiving regular primary and preventive care. A universal system, she argued, could eliminate premiums, deductibles and copayments while ensuring providers receive adequate reimbursement.
Housing is another priority. Nixon supports temporarily limiting large rent increases, restricting private equity firms from purchasing single family homes and capping the number of houses investors may own.
“Single family homes should go toward single families,” Nixon said.
She also wants more federal investment in public housing and stronger oversight of landlords and housing authorities receiving government funding. Nixon said her own experience illustrates what public investment can accomplish. As a single mother, she received first time homebuyer assistance that helped cover her down payment and closing costs.
Nixon said similar programs can help families build stability and wealth, particularly when wages have not kept pace with housing prices.
On immigration, Nixon supports extending Temporary Protected Status for Haitian recipients and creating pathways to citizenship for TPS holders, Dreamers and other immigrants with deep ties to the United States.
She called for “comprehensive and compassionate immigration reform” that reduces immigration court backlogs and focuses federal law enforcement resources on border security, drug trafficking and human trafficking instead of mass detention.
Nixon also wants to protect the Federal Emergency Management Agency from privatization and expand staffing so disaster assistance reaches communities faster. She supports exploring a public property insurance option and federal reinsurance assistance to help lower premiums and strengthen catastrophe reserves.
Her willingness to confront Republican leaders has become a defining part of her public image. In April, Nixon protested Florida’s newly approved congressional map with a bullhorn on the House floor. In May, Capitol Police arrested her after a sit in outside Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office opposing the redistricting process.
Nixon said she is willing to work across party lines, but not at the expense of health care, education or other policies that improve people’s quality of life.
“I’m willing to work across the aisle on everything, but what I won’t do is sacrifice my values or the values of the people who sent me to Washington, D.C.,” Nixon said.
She also said public officials have a responsibility to strengthen civic education. Nixon uses social media to explain legislation and government, and she wants to continue holding in person town halls and organizing advisory committees, regional leaders and neighborhood captains.
“At a minimum, we should be educating the community,” Nixon said. “It’s not about what I want. It’s about what y’all want.”
Nixon argues that her legislative experience and history of showing up in communities make her the strongest Democratic candidate. She said Florida needs a senator who understands what it means to live paycheck to paycheck and who does not need to be briefed on the challenges working families face.
Her campaign is powered primarily by small donations, she said, and she wants that support to reinforce her accountability to everyday residents rather than wealthy donors or corporations.
“I care about all of Florida,” Nixon said. “Floridians deserve someone who’s going to show up for them.”
The Democratic primary election is Tuesday, Aug. 18. Election Day polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
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