Democrats enter race for Florida chief financial officer

Former Miami-Dade Democratic state Sen. Annette Taddeo announced Monday that she is running for Florida chief financial officer, giving Democrats a second candidate in the race to challenge Republican incumbent Blaise Ingoglia in November.

"Florida families are getting crushed. Your homeowner's insurance bill doubled. Then tripled. And the politicians in Tallahassee? They turned a blind eye – or made it worse," Taddeo said in a campaign launch video.

"I've spent my career fighting the establishment when it wasn't easy and standing up to the powerful when it wasn't popular. Florida families deserve a CFO who works for you – not the insurance companies, not the insiders, not the status quo."

If elected, Taddeo said she would focus on consumer protection, government transparency, eliminating waste and abuse, and ensuring taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly.

The chief financial officer oversees state finances, serves as Florida's fire marshal, sits on the Florida Cabinet and supervises the state's insurance market.

Taddeo previously ran as Charlie Crist's lieutenant governor running mate in 2014, when the Democratic ticket narrowly lost to Republican Rick Scott. She won a special election to the Florida Senate in 2017 and served until 2022.

She initially sought the Democratic nomination for governor in 2022 before leaving that race to run for Congress in Florida's 27th Congressional District. She lost to Republican Maria Salazar, 57 percent to 43 percent.

In 2024, Taddeo unsuccessfully ran for Miami-Dade clerk of the circuit court and comptroller.

The Republican Party of Florida criticized her candidacy in a statement released Friday, noting her previous electoral defeats and describing her as one of Florida's "most perennial political candidates."

"At a time when Republicans hold a voter registration advantage of more than 1.5 million voters, Democrats aren't offering a new vision for Florida," Republican Party of Florida Chairman Evan Power said. "Instead, they're doubling down on a career politician who has spent years promoting the same radical tax-and-spend policies that Florida voters have rejected election after election."

Democratic primary

Taddeo joins Earle Ford, a U.S. Army veteran and IRS investigator, in the Democratic primary.

Ford announced his CFO campaign in May after withdrawing from the Democratic primary for Florida's 13th Congressional District in Pinellas County.

"As a U.S. Army Airborne Infantryman, state prosecutor and federal watchdog at the IRS, I have spent my life holding powerful interests accountable and standing up for people who too often get left behind," Ford said when launching his campaign.

"Now, I look forward to bringing that same accountability, balance and backbone to Tallahassee."

Ford said he would focus on Florida's insurance market, government transparency, taxpayer protection and anti-corruption efforts.

Incumbent's campaign

Ingoglia was appointed chief financial officer by Gov. Ron DeSantis in July 2025 and formally launched his campaign for a full term in September.

According to campaign finance reports, Ingoglia has raised more than $981,000 in his campaign account and has more than $4 million in a separate political committee account.