For Republicans in Florida, the midterm message to voters is clear: All Democrats are socialist. In televised interviews and social media posts since the state’s primary elections last week, GOP members have continued to erase distinctions between the Democratic party to the Democratic Socialists of America.

The socialist trope is not new. Florida Republicans have used it for years. But the 2026 midterms are bringing it to new heights as the GOP capitalizes on Angie Nixon’s unexpected Democratic nomination for Senate. Nixon, a state representative and former union organizer, became a member of the Democratic Socialists of America earlier this year, though DSA did not endorse her and Nixon has rejected the term in recent interviews. “I don’t believe in labels,” she told Axios.

“The socialism attack has been around for ages and ages in Florida, and this year it’s going to take on a different shape because we have a candidate at the top of the ticket who genuinely has affiliated themselves with the socialist movement in this country,” said Michael Worley, a Florida political consultant who has worked on several recent Democratic campaigns. “That adds fuel to this attack in a way that we’ve never seen before in Florida.”

The Florida GOP has wasted little time proving Worley right, sending press releases following Nixon’s win with subject lines like “Socialism Is on the Florida Ballot This November.”

“Make no mistake: the stakes are bigger than any one election. Socialists believe government is the solution and individual freedom is the obstacle to progress,” said Evan Power, Florida GOP chairman, in the statement.

Even the most moderate of Democrats are being targeted by this narrative. At a rally in Tampa I attended last week, Republican gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds called David Jolly, his Democratic opponent, a “Trojan horse” for the DSA. Jolly is a former Republican member of Congress who left the party during Trump’s first term, became an independent, and registered as a Democrat last year before running for governor.

“We learned from Trump,........

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