Florida’s race for chief financial officer is set for November after both candidates won their primary elections this week.
Republican incumbent Blaise Ingoglia and Democratic challenger Annette Taddeo joined In Depth with Kristine Bellino in separate interviews to discuss their wins, their priorities, and what they believe needs to change or continue in Florida.
Blaise Ingoglia: Affordability, taxes and his record as CFO
Ingoglia, who was appointed Florida CFO in 2025, said he plans to campaign on the work his office has already done and continue focusing on affordability and government spending.
One issue he expects to keep working on is property taxes. Ingoglia said he believes Florida has room to cut taxes while still funding first responders and other essential government services.
He also pointed to insurance costs and fraud.
Ingoglia said his office has issued large fines against insurance companies and taken legal action when companies failed to meet their obligations. He also said nearly 1,300 people accused of insurance fraud and scams have been arrested during his roughly 14 months as CFO.
Another priority, he said, is keeping Florida financially prepared for hurricanes and other natural disasters.
Ingoglia was also asked about the growing debate over data centers in Florida, and said he does not support building hyperscale data centers in the state.
“I do not think they belong in the state of Florida,” Ingoglia said.
He argued they use large amounts of water and electricity and could increase utility costs for Floridians.
Annette Taddeo: More oversight of Florida’s money
Taddeo, a former Florida state senator and small business owner, said a major reason she is running is that she believes the CFO should provide more oversight of how taxpayer money is being spent.
She criticized the current handling of state contracts and audits, arguing that Floridians should have a clearer picture of where their money is going.
Taddeo specifically pointed to no bid contracts and spending from the state’s emergency funds. She argued the CFO’s office has not done enough auditing and accused the current administration of allowin political connections and special interests to influence how money is spent.
Insurance was another major part of her interview.
Taddeo proposed creating an insurance “report card” that would give Floridians more information about companies, including how they respond to claims, whether they delay payments, and how they handle their money.
“It’s getting too expensive to live in Florida,” Taddeo said.
She also supports a moratorium on AI data centers until Florida puts clearer rules in place. Taddeo said the state needs to consider their impact on water, electricity costs and the environment before allowing more of them to be built.
Taddeo said she wants the CFO to be a “watchdog” for Floridians’ money and argued the state needs more accountability in Tallahassee.
The race moves to November.
Ingoglia and Taddeo will now face each other in the November general election.
Ingoglia said he plans to continue pushing for lower costs, lower taxes and more efficient government, while Taddeo is campaigning on bringing more oversight and accountability to the CFO’s office.
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