PUNTA GORDA, Fla.–For more than 50 years, K. brevis or Red Tide, as it is commonly known, has plagued the southern portion of the gulf coast of Florida, and while it is currently making its presence known to Floridians, it is creeping into the political agenda for the 2022 gubernatorial race. Florida Agricultural Commissioner and 2022 Democratic gubernatorial candidate Nikki Fried is making water quality her top priority. This past week, Fried kicked off a three-day tour across the state to discuss her agency’s clean water initiative, aimed at updating the department’s water policies to better protect the state’s natural resources. Water quality is also an important issue facing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican.  Upon taking office, he issued an executive order to tackle Florida’s critical water issues, which included the reactivation of the long-dormant Red Tide Task Force. The governor designated $4.8 million in this year’s budget to the task force to battle the …