迈阿密 —— 佛罗里达州民主党籍的两位主要候选人正在进行一场实时实验，探索如何在共和党在罗恩·德桑蒂斯州长和唐纳德·特朗普总统领导下巩固权力的州份中，重新夺回竞争力。
MIAMI — Democrats at the top of the ticket in Florida are running a real-time experiment on how to claw their way back to competitiveness in a state where Republicans consolidated power under Gov. Ron DeSantis and President Donald Trump.
两位竞选风格截然不同的民主党人正在测试不同的策略和信息传递方式：一方是民主党州长提名人大卫·乔利，这位前共和党人将其政治品牌建立在温和和跨阵营吸引力之上。另一方是竞选联邦参议员的州众议员安吉·尼克松，她拥抱自己“不加掩饰的进步派”身份，打造了一场以对抗性基层行动和极具传播力的社交媒体声量为特色的竞选活动。
Two Democrats running very different campaigns are testing divergent strategies and messaging: On one side is the Democratic nominee for governor, David Jolly, a former Republican who has built his political brand around moderation and crossover appeal. On the other is Senate hopeful state Rep. Angie Nixon, who has embraced her identity as an unapologetic progressive and crafted a campaign steeped in confrontational grassroots activism and splashy social media virality.
“我们是阴和阳，”尼克松说道。她在8月的初选中爆冷击败了资金更充足、获得建制派支持的亚历克斯·温德曼，后者本可能是乔利更自然的政治对应面。
“We’re the yin and yang,” said Nixon, who notched an upset primary in August against better-funded, establishment-backed Alex Vindman, a candidate who may have been a more natural political counterpart to Jolly.
尼克松和乔利在11月各自的表现如何，可能会塑造州党未来的走向，以及全国民主党在2028年总统大选中的策略 —— 尤其是当政治操盘手和总统潜在候选人正在寻找制胜信号之时。
How well Nixon and Jolly each perform in November could shape the state party moving forward as well as the national party’s strategy for the 2028 presidential election — especially as political operatives and presidential hopefuls look for clues on a winning message.
佛罗里达州的悲观派民主党人曾担心，选票上出现这一对“政治怪胎组合”会让该党更难围绕统一信息团结一致。虽然初选后内部斗争曾公开化，但对全州10位民主党人的采访显示，他们现已进入“低头干活”模式，专注于在能赢的地方争取胜利。
Pessimistic Democrats in Florida have worried that winding up with a political odd couple on the ballot would make it harder for the party to rally around a unified message. While internal infighting spilled out publicly after the primary, interviews with 10 Democrats across Florida reveal they’re now in heads-down mode focused on trying to win where they can.
经历过去两个周期的惨败，鲜有人主张该州已稳处可争取之列。他们反而表示，只要能让全州范围的竞选接近胶着状态，足以显示该党地位正在逐步改善。他们还预计将在共和党主导的州议会中翻转席位。
Few are arguing the state is solidly in play after stinging defeats the last two cycles. They instead say it would be enough to get the statewide races close to show the party is gradually improving its standing. They also expect to flip seats in the Republican-dominated state Legislature.
一名民主党工作人员，与其他人一样，获准匿名以便坦率发言，表示他们的理解是：许多不喜欢其中任一候选人的该党选民，鉴于两人之间的分歧，将会带着“咬牙坚持”的态度去投票 — — 而随后将会进行“灵魂的审视”。另一名工作人员承认，两名候选人的不足之处可能“令人担忧”，称虽然这对搭档表明该党拥有“大帐篷”，但尼克松倾向于离题发挥，而乔利则表现出他不愿进行斗争。
One Democratic operative, who, like others, was granted anonymity to speak candidly, said the understanding is that many of their party’s voters who don’t like one candidate or the other, given their differences, will go to the polls with a “grin and bear it” attitude — and that “soul searching” will follow. Another operative acknowledged that shortcomings of both candidates could be “a concern,” saying that while the duo showed the party had a “big tent,” Nixon had a tendency to go off script, and Jolly had demonstrated he was resistant to combat.
“但我们正处于候选人存在缺陷的时代，”该人士补充道。“我喜欢民主党正在摆脱手足无措的状态。”
“But we are in an era of flawed candidates,” the person added. “I like that Democrats are moving away from hand-wringing.”
持票据最乐观看法的人认为，民主党可以吸引广泛的选民群体，包括独立选民和失望的共和党人——如果他们想要克服共和党在选民登记方面150万的优势，这是必要的。佛罗里达州民主党在社交媒体上强化了这一信息，在X平台上写道，其提名者“有适合每个人的东西”。
Those who hold the most optimistic view of the ticket argue that Democrats can appeal to a wide swath of voters, including independents and disaffected Republicans — a necessity if they want to overcome Republicans’ 1.5-million voter registration advantage. The Florida Democratic Party has reinforced that message on social media, writing on X that its nominees have “something that fits everyone.”
“我们有一张独特的名单，能够为我们党的所有选民群体提供东西，”莱昂县民主党主席瑞安·雷说。“我认为这不是任何人会从零开始设计出来的，但它实际上很 ingenious。……这就是真实人们的真实状态。”
“We have a unique ticket that offers something for all the constituencies of our party,” said Ryan Ray, chair of the Leon County Democratic Party. “I don't think it's what anyone would have drawn up whole cloth, but it’s actually ingenious. … That’s how real people really are.”
“我不知道还有什么比我们名单的顶端更具佛罗里达特色的了，”佛罗里达州民主党众议员马克斯韦尔·弗罗斯特说，他是国会中唯一在初选前就支持两位候选人的Z世代成员。他补充道：“我认为他们将激励不同群体的人，并且他们真的互相补充。”的确，乔利和尼克松的风格形成鲜明对比。乔利拒绝与他的共和党对手、众议员拜伦·唐纳斯进行辩论，理由是政治具有毒性。
“I don't know if there's anything more Florida than the top of our ticket,” said Democratic Rep. Maxwell Frost of Florida, the only Gen Z member of Congress who endorsed both candidates before the primary. He added, “I think they are going to inspire different groups of people, and they really complement each other.”Indeed, Jolly and Nixon’s styles contrast sharply. Jolly has refused to debate his Republican opponent, Rep. Byron Donalds, citing toxicity in politics.
与此同时，尼克松反复指责她的共和党对手、参议员阿什利·穆迪为“缺席的阿什利”，因为她拒绝与她辩论，并且只举办规模小、事先写好脚本的活动，媒体参与有限。
Meanwhile, Nixon repeatedly chides her GOP opponent, Sen. Ashley Moody, as “Absent Ashley” for refusing to debate her and for holding small, scripted events with limited media.
而乔利则恳请选民制止分裂，拒绝那些“告诉我们只要我们互相仇恨得足够多，生活就会变得更好”的领导人；尼克松则呼吁她的支持者“发出声音”，并把“愤怒和绝望作为动力”。乔利——他在2018年因与特朗普的分歧而离开共和党——坚持认为他的选举不是关于审判总统，选民只是在寻求“正常状态”。尼克松则坚持认为特朗普及其内阁其他成员应该被弹劾。
While Jolly pleads with voters to quash division and reject leaders who “tell us if we just hate each other enough, our life is going to get better,” Nixon calls for her supporters to “get loud” and use “rage and despair as a motivator.”Jolly — who left the Republican Party in 2018 over disagreements with Trump — insists that his election isn’t about litigating the president and that voters are just looking for “normalcy.”Nixon has insisted Trump and the rest of his Cabinet should be impeached.
“我不认为善良是一种弱点，”乔利在九月下旬迈阿密花园接受采访时，被问及他对竞选的态度时这样说。“我认为善良是你能带入政治的最大力量。”随后，乔利在阐述他将如何运用行政权力时变得明显兴奋起来，他说如果自己获胜，将“和罗恩·德桑蒂斯州长一样雄心勃勃”地使用行政权力：尽管预料会面临诉讼，他仍会暂停数据中心的建设；解雇佛罗里达州外科医生总长兼疫苗怀疑论者约瑟夫·拉达波；任命一位“让老师教授全部历史，而不仅仅是我们一些白人政客喜欢的部分”的州教育委员。他还承诺将撤销地方政府对多元化、公平和包容政策的禁令。
“I don't think kindness is a weakness,” Jolly said during an interview in Miami Gardens in late September when asked about his approach to his campaign. “I think kindness is the greatest strength you can bring into politics.”Jolly then became visibly animated as he elaborated on all the ways he would use his executive authority “as ambitiously as Gov. Ron DeSantis” if he won: pausing the construction of data centers despite expecting a lawsuit, firing Florida Surgeon General and vaccine skeptic Joseph Ladapo and appointing a state education commissioner that “lets teachers teach all of history, not just the favorite parts of some of our white politicians.”He also pledged to roll back the ban on diversity, equity and inclusion policies in local governments.
“我们在能与共和党人合作的地方，也会那样做，”他接着说。“我会在选举之夜给共和党人打电话，说：‘别浪费未来四年。这不是关于对抗或斗争。我们在能合作的地方合作，在不能合作的地方，我将动用行政权力。’”其他民主党人指出，不同候选人在不同选民群体中各有优劣势，尼克松在初选中展现出了激发黑人选民的能力，黑人选民是民主党的中坚力量，在过去两个周期中占佛罗里达州实际投票人数的13%至11%。
“Where we can work with Republicans, we're going to do that too,” he continued. “I'll call Republicans on election night and say, ‘Let's not waste the next four years. This is not about antagonism or combat. Let's work together where we can, and where we can't, I'm going to use executive authority.’”Other Democrats note the candidates face advantages and drawbacks with different constituencies, with Nixon demonstrating during the primary that she could energize Black voters, who are the backbone of the Democratic Party and in the last two cycles represented between 13% and 11% of Florida voters who turned out.
然而，她因在以色列问题上的言论和立场，甚至在党内也遭到批评，包括她在州众议院提出的一项决议，呼吁“在以色列国和被占领的巴勒斯坦实现降级和停火”。同党民主党人担心，她今年决定加入美国民主社会主义者组织，会让西班牙裔选民望而却步，因为他们中的许多人来自逃离拉丁美洲左翼独裁统治的家庭。自尼克松赢得初选以来，乔利表示，他不同意她在以色列问题和社会主义上的观点，但他们在住房、医疗和教育方面有共同关注点。
Yet she has faced criticisms even within her own party over comments and positions she has taken on Israel, including a resolution she introduced in the state House that called for a “de-escalation and cease-fire in the state of Israel and occupied Palestine.”And fellow Democrats are worried her decision to join the Democratic Socialists of America this year will turn off Hispanic voters, given many of them come from families who fled left-wing dictatorships in Latin America. Since Nixon won her primary, Jolly has said that he disagrees with her views on Israel and socialism but that they share a focus on housing, health care and education.
“对于不喜欢多元、公平与包容（DEI）民主党的人来说，这就是我们在这场竞选中呈现给你们的，”佛罗里达州南部前民主党众议员乔·加西亚说。
“For those who don’t like a DEI Democratic Party, that’s what we have given you in this race,” said former Democratic Rep. Joe Garcia of South Florida.
“我们确实涵盖了各个层面，”他补充道。他提到的不仅包括乔利和尼克松，还有古巴裔美国人、民主党州检察长候选人何塞·哈维尔·罗德里格斯，以及出生于哥伦比亚、民主党佛罗里达州财政长官候选人、前州参议员安妮特·塔德奥。支持所有候选人的加西亚表示，由于尼克松更符合民主党基本盘的诉求，如果她“表现出色，其他候选人也会跟着受益。”
“We have literally covered the spectrum,” he added, pointing to not just Jolly and Nixon but the Democratic candidate for state attorney general, José Javier Rodríguez, who is Cuban American, and the Democratic candidate for Florida chief financial officer, former state Sen. Annette Taddeo, who was born in Colombia. Garcia, who supports all nominees, said that because Nixon is more in line with the Democratic base, if she "performs well, all the others do well.”
即便是尼克松的反对者也普遍承认，她为本次选举带来的活力是该党多年来未曾见过的。这种活力在竞选活动中显而易见：最近在坦帕举行的一场集会上，身着标志性亮粉色服装的尼克松在行进乐队的伴奏下翩翩起舞。在迈阿密加登斯市的佛罗里达纪念大学接受唐·莱蒙采访时，她穿着粉色运动鞋走上舞台，打趣道：“今天我穿的是‘不专业’的鞋子。”这其实是在暗指温德曼的妻子曾在初选期间批评她的着装风格。
Even Nixon’s detractors widely concede the energy she brings to this cycle is something the party hasn’t seen in years. It’s an energy that’s hard to miss on the campaign trail: At a recent rally in Tampa, Nixon — dressed in her signature hot pink — danced into a gymnasium with a marching band behind her. During an interview with Don Lemon at Florida Memorial University in Miami Gardens, she teased her critics with, “I have my unprofessional shoes on today,” as she walked onto the stage wearing pink sneakers in a subtle dig at how Vindman’s wife had criticized her clothes during the primary.
“我知道很多人都说我的表现缺乏礼仪、不够专业，”尼克松在谈话中接着说道，“但当有人公然破坏我们的体制与民主制度时，礼仪和专业性又有什么用呢？”不过，尼克松与乔利的一个共同点是：两人都难以获得全国性民主党组织的支持。
“I know a lot of people say that your girl didn't have decorum and she lacked professionalism,” Nixon said later in the conversation, “but what good is decorum and professionalism when they are actively destroying our institutions and our democracy?”One of the key similarities Nixon and Jolly share, however, is the trouble they’ve had getting backing from national Democratic groups.
虽然大量资金涌入其他共和党优势州，而且像纽约州民主党众议员亚历山德里娅·奥卡西奥-科尔特斯这样的知名人士也为尼克松站台；前芝加哥市长拉姆·伊曼纽尔及伊利诺伊州州长JB·普里茨克也为乔利助选，但两人都未能获得外界普遍认为对抗佛罗里达州共和党资金与选民登记优势所必需的数千万美元资金。
While cash has poured into other red states and each has enjoyed campaign stops from high-profile figures like Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for Nixon and former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker for Jolly, they haven’t received the tens of millions of dollars many view as necessary to mount a truly aggressive campaign against the GOP big-money and big-registration advantage in Florida.
他说：“不幸的是，全国民主党本可能成为这种情况下的赢家，并证明这就是当我们把精力投入到动员人们投票和支持候选人上时会发生的事情。”
“The unfortunate part is that the national Democratic Party could be winners in this situation,” he said, “and show this is what happens when we put our energy behind getting people out to vote and behind candidates.”