Democrats face first test in bid to defeat DeSantis

Nikki Fried believes this should be her year to advance to a one-on-one battle against Florida’s ambitious governor, Republican Ron DeSantis.

Her pitch: Democrats need to motivate voters with a fiery liberal message — protecting abortion rights, legalizing marijuana and capping skyrocketing rent prices — if the nominee stands a chance against DeSantis, a potential 2024 presidential contender trying to position himself as the next leader of the nation’s conservative movement.

But at a campaign event last week in her hometown, Fried, 44, wandered along a sea wall in Miami...