Florida Senate candidate Angie Nixon, a Democrat, has stirred significant controversy by sidestepping a direct response to whether she views Cuba as a dictatorship during a CBS News interview, just days before the midterm elections on November 3.
During the interview, journalist Cristian Benevides questioned Nixon about her stance on Cuba, the communist nation located just 90 miles from Florida's shores, asking if she considers it a dictatorship.
Nixon's response was ambiguous: "That's what I've been told. I've never been to Cuba, so I'll have to take their word for it," she replied.
This statement quickly set off alarms in a state where over 1.6 million Cuban Americans, predominantly in Miami-Dade and Broward, form a historically decisive voting bloc that is particularly sensitive to any position perceived as sympathetic to the Havana regime.
Republican Response Intensifies
Senator Ashley Moody, Nixon's opponent for the seat previously held by Marco Rubio, was swift in her reaction.
"Socialist Angie can't answer if Cuba is a dictatorship? I guess now we know why she voted against Florida's law requiring education on the dangers of communism in schools," Moody stated.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds was even more direct.
"It's the most absurd thing I've heard. Of course, the Castro regime is a dictatorship. It's sad to see what the Democratic Party has become. They're completely consumed by socialism," Donalds asserted.
Senator Rick Scott drew parallels to other Democratic controversies: "Just like many of her colleagues who seem unable to define what a woman is, now we have a Senate candidate who can't define a dictatorship."
Maureen O'Toole, spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee, extended the criticism: "Socialist Angie Nixon can't even call the Cuban regime what it is: an oppressive dictatorship that has stripped its citizens of dignity, rights, and freedoms for decades."
Nixon's Retort and Critique of the Embargo
Initially, CBS News reported that Nixon "declined to say" whether Cuba is a dictatorship but later retracted those statements after Nixon protested, accusing the network of a "serious editorial failure" and spreading "misinformation."
"I clearly state in this clip that, while I haven't personally been to Cuba, I've spoken to Cubans who've described it as a dictatorship, and I believe them," Nixon wrote on Platform X.
In the same interview, Nixon advocated for lifting the embargo and resuming former President Barack Obama's engagement policy.
"This decades-long failed embargo has yet to change the regime. I've spoken with Cuban Americans who have family in Cuba. They told me they're suffering even more now," she argued.
She also criticized the deportations of Cubans under the Trump administration.
"I opposed Ron DeSantis, Donald Trump, and Ashley Moody agreeing to send Cubans back to Cuba, or even to African countries," the Democratic candidate expressed.
The Impact of the Cuban Vote and Electoral Context
These statements come as early voting is underway in Miami-Dade, with 28 centers open until November 1, and recent polls showing Moody leading by four to 11 points, particularly with an 11-point gap among Cuban Americans.
Nixon, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America since June 2026, outpaced Moody in fundraising during the third quarter—$7.6 million to Moody's $5.8 million—though the Republican senator had more cash on hand for the campaign's final stretch.
Moody, a co-sponsor of the DEMOCRACY Act to freeze assets and deny U.S. entry to Cuban officials, has labeled the Havana government as a "murderous communist dictatorship."
The chasm between the two candidates regarding Cuba could not be wider, and the South Florida electorate will have the final say on November 3.
Key Questions About the Florida Senate Race and Cuban Policy
Why did Angie Nixon's comments about Cuba create controversy?
Nixon's comments were seen as evasive and failed to directly label Cuba as a dictatorship, which is a sensitive topic for many Cuban Americans in Florida who view the Cuban regime as oppressive.
How did Republican candidates respond to Nixon's remarks?
Republican candidates like Ashley Moody and Byron Donalds criticized Nixon for her reluctance to call Cuba a dictatorship, framing it as part of a broader Democratic alignment with socialist policies.
What is Angie Nixon's stance on the Cuban embargo?
Nixon supports lifting the embargo and believes that the decades-long policy has failed to change the Cuban regime, advocating for a renewal of engagement policies.