Race Analysis: Florida CFO Democratic Primary

Florida Democrats will choose their party’s nominee for Chief Financial Officer in the Aug. 18 Primary Election, with former state Sen. Annette Taddeo and attorney, Army veteran, and former federal investigator Earle Ford competing for the nomination.

The winner of the Democratic Primary will advance to the Nov. 3 General Election to face the Republican nominee for Chief Financial Officer.

Democrat Annette Taddeo



A former Democratic state senator, Taddeo made history as the first Latina elected to the Florida Senate in 2017. Her victory was also notable for delivering a major upset by flipping a traditionally Republican district within Miami-Dade County.

Born in Colombia to a Colombian mother and an Italian-American father, Taddeo’s family fled to the United States when she was 17 after her father, who is a United States World War II and Korean War fighter pilot, was kidnapped by FARC guerrillas.

According to her campaign website, the family fled with “everything that mattered: resilience, a commitment to public service, and the belief that hard work still meant something in America.”

Taddeo attended the University of North Alabama, a college in the state where her family first settled after moving to the U.S. She graduated with a degree in Commercial Spanish and a minor in business administration. Several years later, she furthered her education with a two-year attendance at the Dartmouth Tuck School of Business.

She eventually relocated to Miami, where she founded LanguageSpeak, a successful multilingual translation and interpretation company that went on to receive recognition as one of the nation’s Top 500 Small Businesses and one of Florida’s Top 100 Small Businesses.

She raised a family in Miami-Dade and received numerous honors recognizing her leadership and entrepreneurial success from business organizations, community groups, and government entities.

According to her campaign website, Taddeo is running on a platform that promises to “stand up for Florida families” against insurance companies.

“Insurance companies are raking in profits while homeowners can’t afford to stay in their homes,” Taddeo says. “Tallahassee insiders are protecting themselves and their donors instead of the people who elected them.”

Taddeo first entered politics in 2008 with an unsuccessful campaign as the Democratic candidate for Florida's 18th Congressional District. In 2014, she was the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor of Florida, running on a ticket with Charlie Crist.

Her time in the state senate (2017–2022) is marked by her advocacy for affordable healthcare, environmental protections, safe drinking water, and funding support for public schools and educators. Taddeo also advocated for stronger gun safety measures, including expanded background checks, raising the minimum age to purchase firearms, and other firearm safety reforms.

As of the most recent campaign finance reporting period, which closed on July 3, Taddeo’s bid to lead the office of CFO had raised $36,256 in campaign contributions—which includes $6,000 the candidate loaned to her campaign. Her campaign has so far spent just under $10,000, according to the latest reporting.

By comparison, Taddeo’s Democratic primary opponent has raised $13,744 for his campaign as of July 3, $8,000 of which was derived from self-loans. Earle Ford’s campaign has reportedly already spent nearly $14,000 on his run for the office.

Democrat Earle Ford



A Veteran of the U.S. Army’s Airborne Infantry, Ford grew up in Wyoming and moved to Florida in 2015. He has called the Tampa Bay area home since 2019.

Ford’s public service didn’t end with his military service; after earning a Juris Doctor from Barry University Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law, he went on to serve as a prosecutor in Florida's Ninth Judicial Circuit and later as a federal investigator with the Internal Revenue Service.

Ford entered politics in 2026 when he announced his Democratic candidacy for Florida’s 13th Congressional District. He later ended that campaign to run for CFO.

In announcing his decision to shift his campaign to the Office of CFO, Ford said in part, “I believe this decision gives me the opportunity to improve the daily lives of Floridians by fighting to lower costs, tackle the insurance crisis, save taxpayer money, and restore accountability in Tallahassee.”

“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,” he added.

Ford’s campaign platform to serve as Florida’s next CFO aligns with statements he made while announcing his candidacy. According to his campaign website, should voters elect him, Ford will prioritize spending oversight, consumer protection, government accountability, and fighting for property insurance reform.

The Florida Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is an executive constitutional officer who heads the Department of Financial Services and serves as a member of the Florida Cabinet. The role was created in 1998 through a constitutional amendment that combined the offices of the comptroller, insurance commissioner, and state fire marshal.

The CFO's primary responsibilities include managing the state's finances, auditing payments, regulating the insurance industry, overseeing certain banking and financial functions, and serving as Florida's State Fire Marshal, including supervising arson investigations. As a Cabinet member, the CFO also helps shape broader state policy.

For more information on candidates, election dates, deadlines, or to register to vote, check your registration, or submit registration updates, visit:
votemanatee.gov.