Alexander Vindman Joins Democrats in Bankrolling Local Candidates in Red Florida
Vindman has now made himself a cog in a large operation to fund progressive candidates across Florida and nationwide.
Alexander Vindman just experienced a landslide loss to Angie Nixon, a card-carrying member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) in the Florida Democratic primary for Senate. Despite wide recognition as the front-runner in the race, Vindman only received 45 percent of the vote, even after out-fundraising Nixon $16.3 million to less than $1 million.
You may remember Vindman from his less than truthful testimony in the first impeachment of President Trump in 2019, in which he unironically questioned the ethics of Trump's phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Despite that claim to fame, he failed to mount a credible campaign for senate in Florida, the state he's called home since 2023.
Since his loss, Vindman has thrown his support behind Nixon. In a fundraising email on behalf of Nixon, he stated "that's why I am standing alongside our Democratic nominee… as she takes on Trump's endorsed candidate Ashley Moody…" Additionally, on August 20th, just two days after his loss, he went to X to brag about a major $400,000 contribution to the Florida Democratic Party (FDP). He also contributed a similar amount to various senatorial and congressional campaigns nationwide.
On September 1st, Vindman went to his Substack, Why It Matters, to comment on his loss and path forward. He stated; “I want us to win elections… Our campaign has substantial resources remaining, and I’m going to put them to work. We have already put nearly $1 million to work and plan to invest substantially more.”
Vindman described the initial $400,000 donation as "just the beginning… we are going to make more contributions to the places it will matter most."
Where are these places the failed senatorial candidate speaks of? Local elections.
Making Blue Gains in Red Florida
The Florida Democratic Party's "Take Back Local" campaign has led their efforts to win back local elected positions, specifically focused on county commission, city council, and nonpartisan school board seats. Take Back Local has primarily targeted Central and South Florida. After the August Primary Election, FDP flaunted victories across the state. Eleven of the 13 successful graduates of the Take Back Local program won in school board races.
"The godless Marxist teachers' unions, funded by the Democrat party, will never give up," said Victoria Manning, former school board member and author of Behind The Wall of Government Schools. "Even in Florida. They know the best way to fulfill their anti-capitalist takeover of the nation is by infiltrating schools and controlling the minds of children. Conservatives must never become complacent regarding school board elections. It's the most impactful position on the ballot."
While school board races in Florida are nonpartisan, those elected will direct the school district's operations, make the motions, and preserve or attack parental rights. The agendas and affiliations make the seats inherently political. Even the Florida Democratic Party's Candidates and Campaigns Director Danielle Hawk admits the party is "prioritizing local races first because this is where we can make the most impact."
Notably, Sarasota, FL's school board just flipped from a conservative majority to a liberal majority in a county where Republicans have an 80,000 lead in registered voters. This is a significant change in leadership from the 4-1 majority conservatives held after Governor DeSantis supported their runs for office. Take Back Local candidate Beth Mayberry solidified the leftist takeover of the Sarasota County School Board.
They are not just going after your kids' schools, but your city council too. Florida Rising Chief Advocacy & Political Officer Moné Holder became Jacksonville's At-Large City Councilwoman-Elect after beating Republican challenger Deborah Wesley in the August primary. Florida Rising prides itself as a progressive environmentalist political organization backing campaigns "powered by Black and Latinx communities." Florida Rising actively denounces the Trump Administration’s deportations of dangerous illegal aliens. In a state Donald Trump won by 13 points in 2024, Jacksonville elected a Democrat mayor in 2023. A 13-6 Republican supermajority on the Jacksonville City Council keeps Deegan in check, despite her best efforts.
Mayor Deegan has found herself in controversy several times including for maintaining a gun logbook at city hall, creating DEI positions in her administration, and comparing President Trump's deportation efforts to Hitler's concentration camps. Donna Deegan was another local Democratic candidate who received backing from the state party—and, of course, she allies with Moné Holder.
The national spotlight shone on Miami as well, in December 2025, when Take Back Local candidate Eileen Higgins was elected mayor after 30 years of Republican leadership. Unlike Jacksonville, which has a narrow Democrat voter registration advantage, Miami-Dade County has a Republican majority.
Friends with Benefits
Take Back Local is not just an open club, but one with significant benefits. In their August 18th, 2026, election night press release, Florida Dems listed their provided services: funding, strategic support, and voter contact. When a local school board campaign costs tens of thousands of dollars, Alex Vindman's $400,000 goes far.
The strategy has come into focus. The Democrats are stealing Republican seats underneath our noses in local governments statewide, and nationwide as well. The Take Back Local program has seen significant success, with a 76 percent win rate since 2024. In school board races alone, the Florida Democratic Party seated two thirds of their backed candidates.
Those races constitute the bench—candidates who, once they learn how to win at the local level, can run for higher office in the future, threatening Republicans in statewide and national positions.
Vindman states his desires directly, "Florida Democrats have a strong slate of candidates ready to lead, from the federal level all the way down to School Boards and County Commissions, and I want to make sure they have the resources they need to win."
Money: The Mother's Milk of Politics
The money doesn't just come from Vindman, but from dozens of political action committees statewide. Down Ballot Democrats PAC provides the clearest example, with donations to Republican-turned-Democrat Charlie Crist's campaign for St. Petersburg mayor, several Florida House of Representatives candidates, and others. Jacksonville NOW (National Organization for Women) Political Committee donated to nine local candidates, including four Duval County school board candidates, and publicly endorsed in 15 races across Northeast Florida in the 2026 election cycle. The PAC's parent organization proudly proclaims their goal to "promote feminist ideals." Another one, Reach Out Florida PAC, touts that it is "dedicated to helping fund progressive and democratic candidates and ballot issues." The PAC spreads funds across local races in Northeast Florida and statewide campaigns.
This is nothing new. Political organizing committees have existed on both the Left and the Right for decades. What may be unique about this period, however, is complacency among GOP voters and organizers who failed to turn back the new tide of progressive candidates.
While most voters watch national politics on TV every night, they often overlook the races happening in their own communities. These positions make the most direct impact on you and breed the next generation of congressmen and governors. The Take Back Local program is not exclusive to Florida and comes under different alias nationwide.
Whether you live in a Republican sanctuary, battleground state, or Democrat stronghold, conservative voters must organize to fight the Left’s attempts to flood local seats. They know that is the best way to combat the common-sense Republican agenda. We cannot leave battlefronts uncontested.
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