Building Progressive Power in Florida: Lessons on Organizing, Messaging, and Candidate Support

Moderator Wes Hodge, Gabrielle Adekunkle, Hedder Pierre-Joseph, Allison Minnerly, and Jen Sizemore.

Optimism and practical planning filled the rooms at The People’s Progressive Conference, hosted by the Democratic Progressive Caucus of Florida this past weekend. Organizers, candidates and elected officials agreed that with clearer pipelines for training, funding and storytelling, progressive power in Florida can grow stronger and more connected.

Panels offered a roadmap: train new leaders, share resources, and sharpen communications strategies that center local people and lived experience. Speakers repeatedly emphasized that progress is within reach when organizers move from good intentions to coordinated action.

On “The Future of Inner-Party Progressive Power,” moderator Wes Hodge guided a forward-looking conversation about making space for emerging leaders. Hedder Pierre-Joseph, running for Orange County Commission District 6, framed the work as mission-driven and inclusive: “Progress means change. We are not progressives. We are changemakers,” she said, urging targeted support for caucuses and new candidates and a commitment to diversity inside party structures.

Allison Minnerly, a DNC state committeewoman, noted that caucuses amplify voices and open doors when candidates show up and build credibility. “You have to prove yourself as a candidate. If you do that we are going to show up for you,” she said. Jen Sizemore, chair of the Brevard Democratic Executive Committee, brought attention to a common problem: “Progressive power lies in community… There are all these resources around and we are not talking to each other. We are not helping each other.”

The Future of Progressive Communications panel highlighted the power of truthful, people-centered storytelling. Kat Dusterhaus urged attendees to elevate ground-level stories and embrace active resistance. “This is nor the moment for business as usual,” Dusterhaus said, adding “We have to rise up to meet this moment…Uplift the stories of the people on the ground.”

Moderator Chris Mitchell, Kat Duesterhaus, Natasha Sutherland, Lee Perry, and Sebastian Martinez

Natasha Sutherland of Florida Watch warned attendees to be mindful of what content they engage with: “When someone hears something often enough they think it's the truth… Algorithms on social media prefer engagement, not truth,” she said, urging creators to be intentional about what they interact with and amplify online. Lee Perry challenged organizers to sharpen their skills: “The Republicans are lightyears ahead in getting their message out... We have to learn the game better than them,” she said, offering that progressives can match — and surpass — opponents by adopting smarter tactics.

Attendees at the People’s Progressive Conference in Orlando.

Elected officials and candidates reinforced the conference’s hopeful tone with examples of authentic, local campaigning. Jeremy Matlow, running for Tallahassee mayor, argued that progressive values resonate when tied to everyday needs: “I do believe a progressive message can win anywhere in Florida… that message needs to come authentically and locally.” Bryan Eastman, Gainesville city commissioner, reminded attendees that voters connect to people: “Voters expect to know who you are and they want to know you as a person.” Anna Eskamani, state representative and Orlando mayoral candidate, underscored the strength of grassroots organizing: “I do not take money from corporations. I take a lot of pride in running a grassroots campaign.”

Jeremy Matlow and Bryan Eastman

Young leaders sounded an encouraging note about the movement’s direction. Gabrielle Adekunkle of Volusia Young Dems emphasized the role of advocacy groups and practical training: “Progressive power does not lie in the party structure itself. It lies in outside advocacy groups,” she said.

Hallway conversations reflected the conference’s upbeat momentum: folks swapped contact information and gave signatures for candidates to be added to the voting ballots. The session takeaways were less about critique and more about capacity-building — a collective belief that the pieces are available to scale progressive wins statewide.

If the People’s Progressive Conference offered a clear charge, it was one of possibility: invest in people, share resources freely, and tell honest, local stories that connect. Speakers left organizers with practical steps and palpable hope — a sense that with coordinated effort, progressive power in Florida can grow broader, deeper and more resilient.