U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost endorsed Nate Douglas as the best Democrat to challenge Republican state Rep. Susan Plasencia.
The Orlando Democrat first praised Douglas on stage last weekend at his MadSoul music festival. But now he's formally endorsed Douglas' House District 37 run in a statement first shared with Florida Politics.
"As I've watched his campaign grow over the last few months, it's clear that Nate has what it takes to win in November, and I'm ready to help him win," Frost said.
Douglas for the moment remains the only Democrat filed in the seat.
The district covers the University of Central Florida but also more conservative portions of Seminole County.
Voters in the district leaned heavily Democratic in the 2020 presidential election, where Democrat Joe Biden won in the district by 12 percentage points despite losing Florida overall. , But Plasencia flipped the seat red last year by defeating state Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, an Orlando Democrat. She was buoyed at the time by Gov. Ron DeSantis' landslide re-election and redistricting that left Smith running in a more moderate district than in prior years.
Frost noted Douglas, a former Orange County Soil and Water Commissioner, had endorsed him early when he ran for Congress in an open seat with a crowded Democratic primary. Now he's returning the favor.
"Nate was one of the first elected officials who endorsed me when I ran for Congress two years ago because he took my campaign seriously," Frost said.
Douglas welcomed the support.
"Every day, I talk to voters who are fed up with MAGA Extremists like Susan Plasencia putting culture wars over solving the real problems," Douglas said. "Affordable housing is out of reach and even if you are lucky enough to own a home, you're one hurricane away from losing everything. I want to go to Tallahassee and fight for a brighter future."
Frost is now the highest ranking official to endorse Douglas. Other backers include state Sen. Victor Torres and Orange County Commissioners Nicole Wilson and Mike Scott.
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