Angie Nixon, the minority leader in Florida’s state house, shocked many last week when she beat Alex Vindman, the incredibly well-funded former national security official who became a hero for many liberals after he testified during President Donald Trump’s first impeachment trial.
It immediately sparked conversations about far-left candidates beating more mainstream Democrats, given that Nixon is a Democratic socialist. In reality, the narrative is not that simple: Nixon is a Florida native who served in the state legislature while Vindman was seen as a carpetbagger. But the data shows a more important trend — one that might shape voting and elections for 2026 and 2028: Black voters are turning out in higher numbers since the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act.
