As Florida’s population has continued to grow steadily, it has become a key battleground state in national elections. And Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate (and Next-Up Victory Fund-endorsed) Andrew Gillum’s recent primary win is just the most recent indicator of the state’s changing political tide and the impact that shift can have on federal politics.
In the September 14 episode of “The Progressive Happy Hour,” co-hosts Drew Courtney and Cici Battle talk to Corryn Freeman, project manager for Florida’s Statewide Alignment Group (SWAG), about the state’s changing electoral landscape and the push for more equal representation of women and people of color in Florida politics.
Freeman described the inclusive organizing that SWAG does as “organizing with the people in the communities that we want to fight for … and ensuring that we have all different ability levels, all different social statuses, and ensuring that all people’s perspectives are equal.”
Freeman shared that in her four years as a Floridian, the state’s political climate has shifted more to the left. She said, “This year, Amendment 4 is on the ballot, which is [voting] rights restoration for the formerly incarcerated … The pendulum is starting to swing on the progressive side from the conservative, Trumpian stuff that Florida was known for.”
On the importance of intersectional organizing, Freeman said, “Whenever we have this diversity, we bring a more holistic point of view … we can’t just take everything from one lens.” She emphasized that everyone can play a part in creating and supporting inclusive representation in politics, and stressed that “we need to make sure we are supporting, financially and visibly, candidates of color … [and] women candidates.”
To learn more about SWAG’s work, listeners can follow Corryn on Instagram at @picture_corryn and check out the organizations that SWAG represents: New Florida Majority, the Dream Defenders, Organize Florida, SEIU, Jobs with Justice Orlando, Faith in Florida, and the Florida Immigrant Coalition.
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