As Leader Designate of the Florida House Democrats, I will be the first Black woman to lead our caucus.
Help me amplify my message by retweeting, following, and getting me to 7k today!
My name is Fentrice Driskell and I am the new FL House Democratic Leader. We’re in a fight for our lives in Florida. Under my leadership, we will work to codify our human rights and lower costs.
Please help me in this fight by retweeting, following, and getting me to 15k today!
We are in the fight for our life in Florida. I am incoming House Democratic Leader, and under my leadership, we will work to protect our rights and hold the GOP accountable.
Help us win this fight by retweeting, following, and getting me to 15k today!
Governor DeSantis’s signing of HB 7 this afternoon marks a dark day in Florida’s history. This bill is in the context of a concerted effort to suppress the stories of communities of color and to not teach our history, which also is everyone’s history, in a truthful way. (1/2)
Florida, tonight's debate has shown that your choice is clear:
@CharlieCrist
is the leader Florida needs in this moment.
On November 8th, we must reject the hate and division sown by Ron DeSantis. Make sure to go out and vote early to elect Charlie Crist as our next Governor.
Just one hour before the Nashville school shooting, Ron DeSantis was advocating for permit-less carry in the State of Florida.
This governor would put our children and our schools in danger. I won’t stand for it. Enough is enough.
Listening to the Governor’s State of the State address. It’s like he’s living in his own world. I’d like to know where it is, ‘cause it sure ain’t in Florida.
#OpeningDay
Have you heard the news? We just won BIG in HD 35!!
Join me at 8 pm EST for a livestream with special guest DNC Chair
@harrisonjaime
for an election recap to meet the newest member-elect of the Florida House!!
@KeenForFL
DeSantis ran the state’s Emergency Preparedness & Response Fund into a $59 million deficit by spending taxpayer money on political stunts like migrant flights to Martha’s Vineyard. Meanwhile, south FL is struggling to recover from a very REAL emergency caused by heavy flooding.
Hey everyone - How do you think the $12 million DeSantis wants to use to do things like fly refugees to Martha's Vineyard could be spent to ACTUALLY help Floridians? Investing in jobs and infrastructure, maybe? Quote this with your ideas!
What an exciting night! Congratuls to
@CharlieCrist
,
@valdemings
, & all the Democrats throughout the state who won their primary races tonight. We have a lot of work ahead of us, but I know that by uniting together, we can build a better future all Floridians!
#VoteBlue
#FlaPol
Florida needs leaders who want to address the affordability crisis in our state.
@CharlieCrist
is that leader. When Charlie is elected, I look forward to working with him to lower costs, increase wages, and build a Florida for all.
“It was a farce and a fallacy and we called it out for what it was,” said Rep. Driskell during the
@FLHouseDems
press availability after the adjournment of special session on the congressional redistricting maps.
Democrats continue to deliver for Floridians. Meanwhile, Republicans continue taking credit for our successes.
Like Ron DeSantis, who gave away bonus checks to first responders without thanking President Biden for passing the American Rescue Plan. Let's hold them accountable.
The FL Supreme Court just ruled: A six-week abortion ban will go into effect within the next 30 days. MAGA extremists pushed through a draconian law that bans abortions after 6 weeks - before most women know they're pregnant. If you're not in the room at my next OB appointment,
Ron DeSantis & his veto pen made Florida worse off today.
Budgets aren’t just numbers on spreadsheets, they’re a reflection of our values & priorities. Unfortunately, the cuts DeSantis made show that he doesn’t understand the problems that real Florida families struggle with.
This legislative session, Florida House Republicans passed a bill that prevents even our TEACHERS from learning accurate history.
HB 1291 is an insult to Black Floridians. It is an insult to anyone who values accurate history. It is an insult to my mother who taught public
Instead of banning books in schools, let's ban assault weapons in Florida.
Democrats like me want to let teachers be teachers & to keep your kids safe.
State Rep. Fentrice Driskell directly called out FL Gov. Ron DeSantis for blocking an African American AP course: ‘He wants to say that I don’t belong, he wants to say that you don’t belong … Governor: Black history *is* American history — & you are on the wrong side of history’
For a FL state rep to call transgender people “demons & imps” while debating a bill that further seeks to marginalize them is cruel. To then double down on those remarks & give a fake apology is amoral.
This is what happens in a state run by an extremist MAGA bully.
Disappointed to hear of disparaging comments made by Rep.
@Shawnfor63
’s aide regarding the
#ParklandStudents
. Our legislature should be focused on developing common sense solutions to prevent future gun violence. Attacking students that are pushing for change is not the answer.
Instead of banning books in schools, let's ban assault weapons in Florida.
Democrats like me want to let teachers be teachers & to keep your kids safe.
I’m honored to have the responsibility to deliver the Democratic response to
@RonDesantis
’s State of the State Address on January 9th.
Unlike our Governor, I’m going to be a grown up and discuss the realities of what Floridians are going through, instead of picking fights with
We are in the peak of hurricane season, and many homeowners remain without property insurance.
Florida Republicans had an opportunity to fix this, but failed. During our next legislative session, Democrats will work to lower rates and hold insurance companies accountable.
It's time to call an affordable housing emergency in Florida to lower costs for Floridians.
If Ron DeSantis won't do it,
@CharlieCrist
will. It's time to elect leaders willing to help our residents.
I am honored to be elected to serve as Leader of the House Democratic Caucus. I couldn’t be more excited to get to work in this new role and lead our Caucus forward, create a brighter future for all Floridians and build a place where we can all be healthy, prosperous, and safe.
These attacks on LGBTQ+ Floridians must stop. I denounce Pushaw’s statements in the strongest possible terms and call on all of my colleagues in the FL House to do the same. There is no excuse for such hatred, and especially not from the Governor’s office.
“A hit dog will holler”.
That’s what
#DeSantis
spokesperson said when I responded to her accusations that
#DontSayGay
opponents are PEDOPHILES.
I’m speechless. Republicans and Democrats must condemn these personal and libelous attacks on my character, paid with taxpayer money.
If she is good enough to be Vice President then she is good enough to be President. She is battle tested. She is ready. And she is prepared for this moment.
I am proud to be supporting
@KamalaHarris
in her run for President of the United States.
Florida is broken… Want to fix it?
Send more Democrats to Tallahassee. Together, we can make Florida better for ordinary, working-class people in this state—Our state!
Extremist Republicans rely on culture wars to divide and distract us. Democrats believe every Floridian
I was down in Fort Lauderdale yesterday and it was a wakeup call.
Governor, as you erase climate change from our laws and veto infrastructure plans, Floridians pay the price.
In 2020, Monique Worrell was elected overwhelmingly by her community as state attorney. She didn’t finish third behind Vivek Ramaswamy. The people of Orange and Osceola Counties chose her to represent their interests and principles.
To those who believe Florida is a red state, think again. Florida Democrats have launched our largest ever coordinated campaign to elect good Democrats up and down the ballot.
Join me in electing a Democratic Governor, Cabinet, and expanding our House and Senate caucuses.
Last year, Florida Republicans imposed a 15 week abortion ban with no exceptions. Now, they want to impose a 6 week abortion ban.
Many women don't know they are pregnant at 6 weeks. This bill is unconstitutional and is a direct attack on women across our state.
Floridians are extremely frustrated with the direction of our state. From voting rights to abortion rights, they are more motivated than ever to elect Democrats up and down the ballot.
When we expand our House majority, as our Leader, I will work to protect our rights.
After giving it a lot of thought, I have realized that my work in the FL House is not done yet. And when DeSantis loses the GOP primary & returns his attention to focus where he can do more damage, we need to be ready. As Minority Leader, I will continue to lead in this fight. 💪🏾
Republican leadership continues to reaffirm the unfortunate reality that you don't get the same freedom or liberties if you're a member of an oppressed community of color in Florida. (2/2)
Friends—we did it! Thanks to your support, I was named the 10th annual EMILYs List Rising Star! 💫 A BIG thank you to everyone who voted, and a special shout out to the other powerhouse women who were nominated. You inspire me!
I applaud President Biden’s decision to pardon all federal simple marijuana possession convictions.
This is a critical first step to decriminalization. Ron DeSantis should follow suit. If he won’t, Florida Democrats will work to legalize recreational marijuana in our state.
Tonight,
@CharlieCrist
will be taking the debate stage to hold Ron DeSantis accountable for the harm he has caused to Florida.
As Florida's incoming House Democratic Leader, I look forward to watching Charlie share his vision for our state.
I cannot stress this enough. If Democrats don't turnout on November 8th, we risk falling into a super minority in the Florida House.
The only way we'll be able to fight back is if you vote. Make a plan, and get to the polls!
As Democrats, we’ve been shouting from the rooftops that his strategy of waging culture wars on the backs of hardworking Floridians just to further his own ambitions was wrong for the state & would be disastrous for the nation.
Thankfully, voters saw Florida’s present and
DeSantis: “We don’t have a clear path to victory. Accordingly, I am today suspending my campaign… It’s clear to me that a majority of Republican primary voters want to give Donald Trump another chance.”
Instead of reducing costs and calling an affordable housing emergency, Ron DeSantis is traveling the country campaigning for defenders of the Big Lie.
We are ready for new leadership in the Governor's mansion, and on November 8th, voters will make it happen.
When Florida Republicans tried to pass Don't Say Gay, I stood up and fought back.
Mark my words: no matter how much Florida Republicans may try to marginalize our LGBTQ+ community, Florida Democrats will always protect ALL Floridians.
It’s time for
@SenMannyDiazJr
to go. Florida’s students deserve to receive an accurate education, and that includes the accurate teaching of Black history.
#flapol
Thank you
@JoeBiden
for your incredible service to our country.
@KamalaHarris
- Can't wait to call you POTUS.
Folks we have an election to win - let's do this!
Reproductive freedom is on the ballot this November. While Florida Republicans want to pass a complete abortion ban in our state, House Democrats will fight to codify your right to an abortion.
Be sure to vote for Democrats up and down the ballot this November.
When I tell you that I am *beaming* with pride? 🤩 The election of Noah Harris as Harvard’s 1st Black male student government president honors the history I helped forge when I was the 1st female student president elected.
My name is Fentrice Driskell, and I am the House Democratic Leader in the Florida Legislature.
Over the past several years, I fought Ron DeSantis and his draconian policies. During the next legislative session, I will work to undo the damage he has done to our state.
The weaponization of the legal system to advance a political agenda turns the rule of law on its head.
It is un-American.
The Soros-backed Manhattan District Attorney has consistently bent the law to downgrade felonies and to excuse criminal misconduct. Yet, now he is
Today is a very dark day in history with the passing of HB 7 and HB 1557 in the FL House. Brandon (
@bjoewolf
) it was an honor to have you join us today as you continue to fight for equality and justice.
#SayGay
I am honored to announce that I am in DC for a meeting with
@VP
Kamala Harris to address bodily-autonomy and the right to access life-saving health care services, including abortion. Stay tuned and follow along as I share important updates throughout my trip.
#DriskellTakesDC
This morning I joined the Women’s March in Tampa to make it clear that i will fight against any attacks on our reproductive rights.
#WomensMarch
#ReproductiveJustice
🚨 An appellate court just affirmed
@RonDeSantis
’s unconstitutional congressional map that suppresses the voices of black voters.
I'm breaking down why this should matter for you:
After the Parkland shooting, Republicans and Democrats came together to increase the age to purchase a firearm from 18 to 21.
5 years later, Republicans want to lower it again, putting our students and schools in danger.
Under my leadership, Democrats will always fight back.
🚨 Big news: I'm excited to announce that EMILYs List nominated me for the 2023 Gabrielle Giffords Rising Star Award!
As Florida's House Democratic Leader, I have fought for Floridians and against Republican tyranny. Please consider voting for me today:
Thank you,
@harrisonjaime
for all of your support! There is still hope for Florida. With hard work and coordination, FL Dems can do great things. Thank you for believing in us! 💯
This is not accurate. Florida follows CDC guidelines reporting cases Monday through Friday, other than holidays. Consequently, each Monday or Tuesday, there will be two or three days of data reported at a time. When data is published, it is attributed evenly to the previous days.
Over 700,000 Floridians are without health insurance because it is simply unaffordable. There is an easy fix to this issue: expanding Medicaid.
Florida Democrats want to expand Medicaid in our state - one of only a handful in the country that hasn’t done so.
Last year, I confronted
@RonDeSantis
, vowing to fight his anti-abortion stance.
Today, a 700k+ signature petition echoes FL's stance, like OH & KS. I warned extremists not to mess with women.
And when it’s time to vote, they'll find out why.
This could be a game-changer for Florida Dems in more ways than one.
Whenever we see abortion rights on the ballot, voting exceeds expectations and breaks records — and abortion rights win. This will also help Dem candidates and our issues all the way down ballot in 2024.
🚨
Today, we officially requested that Governor Desantis do his job and call special elections in two vacant State House seats.
Waiting any longer denies voters in HD 35 and HD 118 the ability to have their voices represented in the Legislature.
#flapol
1:30 pm today: On my way to Jacksonville to stand with
@VP
and address Florida's new 6 Week Abortion Ban. This restrictive law is a major threat to reproductive rights. We must be ready to vote
#YesOn4
this November to protect the freedom of choice in our state!
This November's election is the most important of our lifetime. In Florida, it highlights the battle between autocracy and democracy.
I hope that Floridians will elect
@CharlieCrist
as our next Governor and
@valdemings
as our next Senator. Let's finish strong!
I’M SO PROUD OF YOU.
Together, we just did what was once thought impossible: flipping Florida HD 35 from red to blue.
Our work has only just begun. Let’s turn this wonderful moment into the momentum we need to break the Republican supermajority this November.
Are you in?
Instead of spending taxpayer dollars on the Governor's political stunts, we should be using this money to lower costs for Floridians and help with Hurricane Ian recovery efforts.
Unfortunately, DeSantis continues to fail our state.
You can try to take away our rights, but you can’t take away our voice.
Tonight,
@NikkiFried
and
@LeaderBookFL
were ARRESTED for protesting Ron DeSantis’ near-total abortion ban.
We’re not nearly done fighting.
Thank you to the brave first responders who have helped Floridians recover after Hurricane Ian.
Because of their bravery, recovery efforts have gone smooth. Florida, we have a long way to go still, but we will recover strong together.
Black women have been an integral part in any success that Democrats have had. I am looking forward to contributing to those successes as the first Black woman to lead the Florida House Democratic Caucus.
You cannot say you value the right to privacy then force young girls to release their menstruation records.
This is the hypocrisy in a DeSantis controlled Florida, which is why it’s critical we remove him on November 8th. My latest with
@AliciaOnMSNBC
.
Over the past four years, Ron DeSantis has ignored renewable energy and placated his oil and coal donors.
During this same time, the climate crisis has gotten worse, with Floridians feeling increased effects every single day.
We must act before it is too late.
Instead of spending taxpayer dollars on the Governor's political stunts, we should be using this money to lower costs for Floridians and help with Hurricane Ian recovery efforts.
Unfortunately, DeSantis continues to fail our state.
The latest casualty of the Governor’s war on diversity, equity and inclusion. We’ve left our institutions scrambling to understand how to follow divisive laws that only seek to roll back decades of progress.
Unfortunately, DeSantis cut half a billion dollars from projects to keep Floridians healthy, protect us from storms, and improve our schools and roads.
Governor DeSantis doesn’t like to mention this, but Florida’s budget includes nearly $40 billion in federal money this year. It’s unfortunate that despite having record cash to work with, we couldn’t do more for Floridians struggling with a housing crisis and global inflation.
Property insurance costs are out of control, yet Florida Republicans are focused on banning drag shows and expanding the Don't Say Gay bill.
Unlike Ron DeSantis, Democrats don't need to start culture wars for a presidential campaign. We will fight back. Every. Single. Day.
This ruling is a wake-up call for Floridians. We cannot let extremist politicians control our bodies and futures. Stand up for reproductive rights and support Amendment 4. Let's ensure everyone has the freedom to make their own healthcare decisions.
Floridians deserve a governor who will focus on crises here at home, like lowering soaring healthcare and housing costs. They deserve a governor who will fight for THEM.
@govrondesantis
- let's give the political stunts a rest.
The Fentrice for Florida team is proud to announce Rep. Driskell's re-election to the Florida House!
We've re-elected a champion for our public schools, small businesses, and environment - and look forward to the continued work she will do for North Tampa & our great state.
🚨 *BREAKING* 🚨
Earlier today, HB 7085 was signed into law, creating a $10M Sickle Cell Disease Research & Treatment Grant Program within the Dept. of Health’s Office of Minority Health and Health Equity.
In addition, this bill includes specific components for outreach and
“I certainly got the sense from the vice president that she believes that Florida is a key state, and that it is important for the administration to direct some attention there because of the battles we’re facing,” Driskell said.
DeSantis signed the extremist 6-week abortion ban into law just before 12 am, hoping Floridians won’t notice he stripped away a right most people agree with. Retweet & amplify. If we don’t want FL’s present to become America’s future, we must stop him in ‘24.
#BansOffOurBodies
Florida has a massive teacher shortage, and our test scores have dropped substantially.
This has occurred because of 20 years of Republican leadership.
There is no better way to fix this than to elect a Democratic Governor and a teacher as our next Lieutenant Governor.
We don't have the votes in the legislature to stop this madness right now, but the people of Florida and the rest of America have enough votes in the next election.
Keep watching - he's showing his true colors and it’s up to all of us to stop him.
It is an honor to be elected by my colleagues as the first Black woman to lead
@FLHouseDems
.
We have a big task ahead of us, but I’m confident that our caucus will reach new heights to expand our team and deliver substantive policy reforms for the betterment of Florida.
Want a stronger economy? Vote Democrat!
History shows us that the US economy tends to grow at almost twice as fast under Democratic leadership.
Make your voice heard before November 8!