Dueling Meetings Clash Over Women's Empowerment

Fried's Appearance Causes Tension Between Clay Chamber and Clay GOP

Florida Democrat Chair Nikki Fried, left, and Clay County Commissioner Alexandra Compere, right, offered different views on women’s empowerment during separate meetings on Thursday, September 25th, 2025

Nikki Fried, chair of the Florida Democratic Party, spoke at a Women’s Empowerment Luncheon organized by the Clay County Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, September 25th. A few hours later, the Republican Party of Florida held a press conference in Clay County to offer a differing perspective on empowering women.

Several tables were reserved for local businesses at the sold-out event, including VyStar Credit Union, HCA Florida, PACE Center for Girls, and the Orange Park Mall.

The rest of the crowd was largely filled with women from various professions, but one surprising attendee was the chair of the Republican Party of Florida, Evan Power. He was accompanied by a group of local Republicans, including Chairs of the Clay GOP, Rhonda Jett, and Clay Young Republicans, Samantha Wernet.

Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried, Clay Chamber President Jon Cantrell, and Florida GOP Chair Evan Power pose for a picture. Image courtesy of the Clay Chamber Facebook Page.

Fried’s remarks began with an assurance that she was not speaking in her capacity as head of the Florida Democrats, but rather as someone who has managed to accomplish many things despite being a woman.

Fried said women have to be smarter, work harder, and endure more scrutiny to accomplish great things because “things are not equal.”

The bulk of the comments from the former Florida Commissioner of Agriculture centered on her philosophy for finding common ground and achieving results.

According to Fried, the key is to understand that every issue is tied to a person. Understanding why people are passionate about particular issues can often lead to common ground when trying to solve contentious problems.

She went on to relay a story about helping a cannabis firm get added to the 2015 “Right to Try Act,” which legalized medical marijuana licenses for people suffering from terminal illnesses.

Per Fried, lobbyists for the other cannabis companies, who were all men, were shocked to be “beaten by a girl.” The story, according to Fried, highlights the importance of women's involvement in decision-making processes.

The speech ended with a reminder that women who accomplish great things have done so with the help of successful women who came before them.

The speech was met with a standing ovation from about half of the crowd and polite applause from the rest. Samantha Wernet jokingly commented that she was “surprised to learn women didn’t have equal rights.”

Meanwhile, at the Republican counter-event, the rebuttal to Fried was Biblical, specifically from the Old Testament with references to Esther, Deborah, and Ruth. The theme of the day was to counter Democratic Party talking points about female empowerment, with a well-worn objection that Democrats “can’t even define what a woman is.”

The venue was the Clay County Republican Headquarters in Orange Park, formerly an Italian diner and before that a Mexican restaurant. The audience of 27 people was the same mix of folks who might have been seen enjoying a pizza or nachos there a few years back. The party professionals stood out a bit as being generally younger and wearing suits.

County Commissioner Alexandra Compere and School Board Member Erin Skipper both said they looked to their “Creator” for the definition of woman, but their rhetoric after that differed significantly.

Skipper began her talk expressing outrage that a “controversial figurehead” like Fried would even dare to venture into “ruby red Clay County,” suggesting that a Democrat speaking here was somehow breaking the rules. Skipper is, of course, correct about the county’s political leanings, but even though 86,000 of Clay’s 150,000 voters are registered Republicans, that still leaves 59,000 who are not (30,000 Democrats and 29,000 independents).

“My daughters don’t need another deceptive politician with a microphone and a platform spitting misinformation and mistruths,” Skipper said. “Clay County has shown up to the polls over and over and over again to rebuke the leftist ideology. And we will continue to show up over and over and over again to do this.”

The late Charlie Kirk was not mentioned, but his spirit was in the room as at least two audience members wore t-shirts memorializing the conservative influencer. Kirk himself was known for taking his message to audiences where it would not be popular, and it could be said that Fried was trying to do the same, however, inartfully.

Compere’s rhetoric was not based on insults or outrage, but a simple data-driven message: Clay County does not need a lecture on the empowerment of women. She said:

We not only can define a woman, we trust them to lead. For the very first time in Clay County history, women hold the majority on the board of County Commissioners. three out of five with women at the helm, with Board Chair and Vice Chair Betsy Condon and Kristen Burke...

That’s not all. Three out of five of our constitutional offices are held here by women. Our sheriff, our tax collector, our clerk of county courts and Comptroller, positions that have been held for decades, primarily if not exclusively held by men, but they are now held by strong, capable women...

Just this week, the Small Business Development Center presented their update to the County Commission and they said that from October 2024 to August of 2025, half of the new businesses that they have served in Clay County have been led by women--50 percent. That means women are not only stepping up in the halls of government, they’re taking bold strides in the marketplace, creating jobs, building legacies, and driving innovation right here in our community.