Sellers says he was not saying Florida should get no money because Nixon won: it "is not a state that is a primary target"
Bakari SellersCNN political commentator and co-host of Native Land Pod
On the September 3, 2026 episode of Native Land Pod, Bakari Sellers replayed his August 19 CNN remarks after online criticism and explained them. He said he was not saying Florida should get no money simply because Nixon won, that Florida is not a top-tier target regardless of the nominee, and that spending on Vindman would have wasted Democratic resources.
Responding to
Bakari Sellers said on CNN on August 19, 2026 that Democrats will not be wasting money in Florida now because it is a Senate seat Democrats were not going to win, and that the money will go instead to states such as North Carolina, Ohio and possibly Iowa.
“Florida is not a state that is a primary target if we're going to take the United States Senate back.”
Original text
Original text
Where this statement fits
Are national Democrats holding back money from Angie Nixon's Florida Senate campaign because of her ideology and identity?
On September 24, 2026, Angie Nixon, the Democratic nominee for the Florida U.S. Senate seat held by Republican Sen. Ashley Moody, told MS NOW that national Democratic leaders are reluctant to fund her campaign and gave two explanations: her progressive politics, and her race and gender. A spokesperson for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) told MS NOW the committee monitors all races closely, including Florida. The committee's executive director, Devan Barber, has said additional investments require additional resources. Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings on record as of September 30, 2026 show a joint fundraising committee that includes the DSCC, a $5,000 contribution from a leadership PAC the FEC lists under Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, and DSCC transfers totaling $24,000 to the Democratic Executive Committee of Florida in its July and August reports, but most of the period since the August 18 primary has not yet been reported. This case sets out what each side has said and what the filings show. It does not decide why national Democrats have spent what they have.
Source and context
Original text
About this source
iHeartRadio episode page with the platform's transcript, which is machine-generated and misspells some names. Sellers replays his CNN remarks and explains them, with guest Nikki Free and co-host Angela Rye responding. The episode is dated September 3, 2026.
Original text
About this source
CNN transcript of the program aired Wednesday, August 19, 2026, from 4 to 5 p.m. ET, the day after Nixon's primary win. Sellers, a CNN political commentator, speaks as a panelist. Marc Caputo of Axios adds that Florida has 10 television markets and that a saturation ad campaign costs about $3 million a week.
Before the quotation
Guest Nikki Free had criticized his CNN remarks in a video, and co-host Angela Rye and Free pressed him on how they landed. Sellers said the full clip showed he did not want Vindman to win and that, had Vindman won, Democrats would have wasted money on him in a state they cannot win.
After the quotation
Sellers continued: "The other point is I was not attempting to, and I think I was clear with that, simply say because Angie Nixon didn't win. Don't give Florida money. I was saying Florida, Florida is not a top tier target regardless." The platform's machine transcript reads "didn't win"; earlier in the segment Sellers describes Nixon as having won the primary. Free said she heard his remark as meaning Democrats were out because they did not think Nixon could win, and another participant said it could feel that way to people who are on defense.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Sellers disputes the reading of his remarks as a judgment on Nixon and restates the competitiveness reason: Florida is not a primary target whoever the nominee is. He does not address whether Nixon's ideology or identity affect funding decisions. We labeled it Challenges the characterization because it disputes how his earlier statement was characterized and attributes the limit to Florida's standing as a target.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Angie Nixon
More from this case
Read the full caseDSCC executive director says "additional investments require additional resources" as Republicans outspend Democratic candidates
“Republicans are currently flooding core battleground states with money and outspending our candidates dramatically, so while we are excited about opportunities to expand the map further and monitor all races closely, additional investments require additional resources”Read statement
Jones criticizes Democrats' support for Nixon
“that's just a pattern”Read statement
Alford questions Democrats' willingness to invest in Nixon
“what do we get for our loyalty?”Read statement
Cite this record
- Publisher
- The Dispute Index
- Title
- Sellers says he was not saying Florida should get no money because Nixon won: it "is not a state that is a primary target"
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- https://disputeindex.com/events/3761-on-the-september-3-2026-episode-of-native
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The Dispute Index. "Sellers says he was not saying Florida should get no money because Nixon won: it "is not a state that is a primary target"". First published: 2026-09-30. Last updated: 2026-09-30. https://disputeindex.com/events/3761-on-the-september-3-2026-episode-of-native