Former Democratic Florida Senator Annette Taddeo announced her run for Chief Financial Officer through a campaign video posted on social media this week.
"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.
Taddeo, who served District 40 from 2017 to 2022, enters the CFO race against incumbent Blaise Ingoglia, who up until her announcement was largely unchallenged from inactive candidates in the field.
"The system is rigged, and you're paying for it," Taddeo continued. "A million dollars a day from Florida's emergency fund for Alligator Alcatraz. No bid contracts, no audits, no accountability. Money meant to help sick kids through Hope Florida rerouted to campaign ads."
Taddeo also jabbed at Ingoglia, calling him an "unelected" CFO. Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Ingoglia as CFO in July 2025.
Gov. DeSantis endorsed CFO Ingoglia for a full term in December 2025.
"The CFO is supposed to protect consumers and oversee insurance companies. Blaise Ignoria, the unelected CFO, who should always be our watchdog, isn't just ignoring the problem, he is the problem," Taddeo said.
"El es el problema (He is the problem)," Taddeo added in Spanish.
Other candidates in the CFO race include "Shark Tank" entrepreneur John Smith, Frank Collige, and Earle Ford.
Along with her time as Senator, Taddeo was Charlie Crist's running mate, then a Democrat, in the 2014 Florida gubernatorial election. Crist lost to incumbent Republican Gov. Rick Scott by about 1% of the vote. Taddeo was also the Democratic candidate against U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salzar (R-FL) in Florida's 27th congressional district in 2022 before losing by nearly 15 points.
Most recently, Taddeo lost to Republican Juan Fernandez-Barquin for Miami-Dade County Clerk.
"I've spent my career fighting the establishment when it wasn't easy and standing up to the powerful when it wasn't popular. I even had to fight my own party when I flipped a Trump seat and became the first Latina Democrat senator in history," Taddeo said. "That's exactly what Florida needs in its next CFO. Florida families deserve a CFO who works for you, not the insurance companies, not the insiders, not the status quo."
"Ya basta," (enough)," Taddeo added in Spanish.
