Three Candidates Qualify for Florida CFO Race Ahead of Friday Deadline

Republican incumbent Blaise Ingoglia, Republican challenger Frank William Collige, and Democrat Earle Ford have qualified to appear on Florida's November ballot for Chief Financial Officer. At least two additional candidates remain eligible to qualify before Friday's deadline.

Ingoglia enters the race with a commanding financial advantage. Appointed to the post by Gov. Ron DeSantis after former CFO Jimmy Patronis won a special election last year for Florida's 1st Congressional District, Ingoglia has raised approximately $1.15 million and spent more than $190,000, according to Division of Elections records. That dwarfs Collige's $15,395 raised and $4,672 spent. This will be Ingoglia's first election for the office he now holds by appointment. He previously served in both chambers of the Florida Legislature, representing Gulf Coast communities north of Tampa, and chaired the Florida Republican Party.

For Treasure Coast voters in Martin, St. Lucie, and Indian River counties, the CFO's office carries direct weight. The position oversees state insurance regulation, manages Florida's investment accounts, and administers programs that affect homeowners navigating the state's increasingly volatile property insurance market — a pressure point that has hit this region hard in recent years.

Collige, a Jacksonville-based U.S. Air Force veteran, owns Property Pros Consulting, an insurance claims firm. His background could resonate in a state where insurance costs remain a defining kitchen-table issue. Ford, a Democrat, abandoned his bid for Florida's 13th Congressional District in Pinellas County in May to enter the CFO race.

Democrat Annette Taddeo, a former state senator who held the SD 40 seat in Southeast Florida and previously chaired the Miami-Dade County Democratic Party, announced her candidacy Monday. She had not yet qualified as of Wednesday but is expected to do so before the deadline. No Party Affiliation candidate John Daniel Smith, a Winter Park entrepreneur who founded Storm Stoppers Hurricane Window Protection, filed for candidacy but also had not qualified as of Wednesday.

The qualifying period closes Friday.

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