ORLANDO, Fla. – Florida has never seen a woman elected to the position of commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services, but that could change in November.
South Florida lobbyist and attorney Nikki Fried cruised through the Democratic primary in August by securing 58 percent of the vote, becoming the first woman from either major party to snag a nomination for the Cabinet seat.
"I have a 9-year-old niece and when I look at her, I know this who I'm doing this for," Fried said. "I want to make sure she knows that she has opportunities and that there are no barriers in her way that she can't knock down."
Fried told News 6 anchor Justin Warmoth on "The Weekly on ClickOrlando.com" that if she's elected she hopes to make medical marijuana available to those who need it, overhaul the concealed weapons permitting process and improve the state's water quality.
The Democratic nominee also explained why two banks -- BB&T and Wells Fargo -- terminated her official campaign account because of her views on medical marijuana.
"They told us that it was based on my platform of opening up and expanding access to patients for medical marijuana," Fried said. "Then they said it was a subsidiary that I'm taking money from the industry, but election officials across the country have been taking industry dollars for years. I think I was specifically targeted."
Fried also discussed the state's failing citrus and farming industry, consumer protection and her ideas to make school lunches more nutritional.
"The farm-to-school program allows children to come to our local communities -- whether community farms or farms that are already there -- and what it means to work the land," Fried said. "They then learn about the food and nutritional value, and take the food back to school. So instead of having the french fry, they have the fresh tomatoes they picked the day before."
Fried and her Republican opponent, Rep. Matt Caldwell, are looking to replace term-limited Commissioner Adam Putnam.