Agricultural Commissioner Nikki Fried, who announced her run for governor this week, joined us.
Fried will be running against current U.S.Representative Charlie Crist in the 2022 Democratic Primary, and if successful, she will be running against incumbent Republican Gov. Ron Desantis.
She is currently the only elected statewide Democrat, and has positioned herself as a fresh face in Florida politics. Fried, who won the role of agricultural commissioner in 2018, is now running her campaign, saying she'll be a champion for the ordinary Floridian.
Fried called in to discuss her campaign.
Cruise Industry Standoff
The cruise industry is ready to set sail again, but a current executive order that has been put into effect by Gov. DeSantis says that cruise companies are not allowed to require passengers to be vaccinated against COVID-19. DeSantis’ order is in conflict with the Center for Disease Control’s recommendation that all cruise passengers and crews be vaccinated.
Taylor Dolven of the Miami Herald joined us to discuss the subject in more detail.
Controversial New Laws
Within the past few weeks, Gov. DeSantis has passed several controversial bills into law, including ones on voting, protests, social media, and more recently, transgender student athletes. Critics of these laws say he is mining cultural issues as a way to appeal to conservatives, and ultimately, garner himself a presidential nomination in 2024.
Republican political media consultant Adam Goodman and columnist Nate Monroe of The Florida Times Union joined us for a closer look.
Mackenzie Guiry can be reached at newsteam@wjct.org
