In April of 2023 a small group of southwest Floridians gathered to discuss their concerns about what they see as growing trends toward autocracy here in Florida. The primary focus of their concerns are the policies and positions being put forth by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and the Republican-dominated state legislature, which they say demonstrate autocratic or authoritarian tendencies. That small group of people went on to create a nonpartisan nonprofit called Floridians for Democracy which works to bring people together who share similar concerns. They now have nearly 1000 members, and together they work to shine light on issues around freedom and what they see as government overreach.
There is a newly formed group called Floridians for Democracy still in its infancy that’s being created by southwest Floridians in response to what they say are growing autocratic trends here in Florida, and more broadly across the United States. We spoke with its co-founder and three of its founding members.