More than 6.7 million Floridians stayed home for the 2022 general election.

In turn, Gov. Ron DeSantis cruised past challenger Charlie Crist by more than 1.5 million votes. And as DeSantis now tries to shape America in the Sunshine State’s image, Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried intends to help the party do more to mobilize its members and solicit new ones.

“The party has left so many of our communities behind,” Fried said from behind a podium with a “Take Back Florida” sign attached to its front.

A unified coalition of Black, Hispanic and Asian Democrats welcomed Fried to North Miami on Friday afternoon as part of her “Take Back Florida” tour. The former Florida commissioner of agriculture acknowledged the party’s failures but also touted new initiatives to better connect with voters who have often accused Democrats of only soliciting input from diverse communities around election season.

“We are here,” Fried said to a crowd of more than 50 people at The Katz Restaurant and Lounge. “We are listening. We are showing up early. And it is my complete promise that we are going to invest. We are going to invest in the people on the ground, to invest in the communities that are doing the work.”