Florida’s Chief Financial Officer oversees the Department of Financial Services, which is made up of 12 divisions. Republican Blaise Ingoglia was named to the post in July 2025, after the previous CFO, Jimmy Patronis, resigned from the seat to run for Congress. Ingoglia is now seeking a full four-year term, facing one other Republican in their party primary. Two Democrats are seeking their party’s nomination, and the winners of the primaries will face off on the ballot in November.
News4JAX sent a questionnaire to each candidate asking about their background and their views on several issues. Scroll down to read the responses of those seeking your vote in their own words.
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Note: Responses are sorted alphabetically by party and are presented exactly as submitted, with no editing by News4JAX staff.
| DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES |
Earle Ford
Occupation: US Army Infantry (Airborne) - Veteran
Attorney / Former IRS (Estate and Gift Tax Specialist) - Specialized in the examination of complex trusts and estates of high net worth individuals.
Age: 40
Family: Married to my wife of 7 Years.
Have two children 4 & 2.
Education: B.A. - University of Wyoming
J.D. - Barry Law School
Political experience: N/A
What do you see as the top three issues in this race, and how do you plan to address them?
1. The Property Insurance Affordability Crisis
We cannot have a sustainable state economy if working families and seniors are being priced out of their homes by skyrocketing insurance premiums. The current administration has handed out bailouts to insurance companies while shifting the burden entirely onto homeowners, and that is unacceptable.
The Plan: My office will treat the Department of Financial Services as a genuine consumer protection agency. We will demand absolute transparency in how insurance rates are justified and approved. If an insurance company wants to operate in Florida, they must pay legitimate claims promptly and fairly. We will aggressively investigate executives who profit while shortchanging policyholders, and we will hold carriers accountable to ensure consumers get the protection they actually paid for.
2. Corporate Fraud and Consumer Exploitation
A fair economy requires a level playing field, but right now, the rules only seem to apply to those who can’t afford lobbyists. From predatory lending practices to utility monopolies hiking rates, consumers are left to fend for themselves against massive corporate power.
The Plan: I will bring a zero-tolerance approach to corporate corruption. We will expand and empower our consumer advocacy divisions to aggressively investigate wage theft, financial scams, and predatory practices that disproportionately target our seniors and marginalized communities. By strictly enforcing the law against bad actors, we not only protect vulnerable Floridians but also support the honest, high-road local businesses that play by the rules.
3. Transparency in State Contracting and Investments
Billions of taxpayer dollars flow through Tallahassee, and the public has a right to know exactly where their money is going. Right now, there is too much darkness in state contracting, which invites cronyism and rewards political favors over public benefit.
The Plan: We will open the books. I will implement strict, accessible transparency measures so every Floridian can see how state funds are being allocated. Furthermore, as a steward of the state’s investments, I will ensure we are investing responsibly—prioritizing projects that build real community resilience, such as sustainable infrastructure to combat climate change, rather than using our financial leverage for political theater or to enrich well-connected insiders.
How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?
What sets me apart is the hard-earned expertise to actually execute this vision. You cannot root out systemic corruption if you do not know how the system is manipulated in the first place.
Following the Money: At the IRS, I handled complex financial cases exceeding $500 million. I know exactly how to audit complex entities and structures in order to find how money has moved and how they exploit loopholes. I have the forensic expertise to track the money—meaning when we take on those who try to beat the system, I already know their playbook.
Enforcing Accountability: As an attorney, I do not rely on high-priced consultants to tell me if an insurance rate hike is legally hollow. I dissect the fine print myself to ensure we have the solid legal foundation needed to hold bad actors fully accountable.
Mission-Driven Leadership: My military service instilled a simple ethos: complete the mission and leave no one behind. I bring a soldier’s discipline to protecting everyday Floridians, and I will not back down when the fights against special interests get tough.
As someone who has been in the workforce for the last two decades with real jobs, insulated from what the political arena has become. Any politician can promise to fight for consumers, but as someone who has lived in reality like so many other Floridians, I have the forensic, legal, and experience to deliver for voters.
What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?
My commitment to public service and to the people of this beautiful State
Campaign website: EarleforCFO.com
Campaign social media: Facebook | Instagram | X
Annette Taddeo
Occupation: Small Business Owner.
Age: 59
Family: My immediate family includes my husband, Eric, our daughter, Sofia, my mom Elizabeth and our dogs Snow and Mocha.
Education: University of North Alabama - Bachelor’s Degree.
Dartmouth Tuck School of Business - Executive Education.
Political experience: 2017 Florida Senate District 40.
2018 Florida Senate District 40 (Reelected).
What do you see as the top three issues in this race, and how do you plan to address them?
The three biggest issues in this race are: Affordability, Accountability, and Anti-Corruption.
Affordability: Florida families are being crushed by rising insurance costs and broader affordability challenges. As CFO, I will hold insurance companies accountable, increase oversight, demand transparency in rate-setting and claims practices, and fight to ensure consumers are treated fairly.
Accountability: Floridians deserve an independent watchdog protecting taxpayers, not a rubber stamp for any administration. I will ask tough questions, scrutinize government spending, and ensure taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly and transparently.
Anti-Corruption: Tallahassee’s culture of pay-to-play politics has eroded public trust. I will crack down on political corruption, enforce transparency laws, audit no-bid contracts as required by law, and put Floridians—not political insiders—first.
How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?
I bring a combination of experience and independent leadership that no one else in this race can match. I served for five years on the Florida Senate Banking and Insurance Committee, where I worked on the policies and oversight that shape Florida’s insurance market. I know this job, I understand where the system is failing consumers, and I know what it will take to make it work for Floridians instead of special interests.
Throughout my career, I’ve never been afraid to stand up to my own party or anyone else when it’s the right thing to do. That’s exactly what’s been missing from the Chief Financial Officer’s office. While Floridians struggle with rising insurance costs and affordability challenges, the current CFO has looked the other way as a billion taxpayer dollars have been spent on Alligator Alcatraz, at a cost roughly twenty times higher than most other detention facilities nationwide. Instead of asking tough questions, he’s enabled waste and political spending. Florida doesn’t need another politician who goes along to get along — we need an independent Chief Financial Officer who will fight for affordability, demand accountability, crack down on corruption, and always put Floridians first.
What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?
I hope people remember that I restored the office to what it was always meant to be: an independent watchdog for the people of Florida. If I leave office having helped lower costs for families by holding insurance companies accountable, protected taxpayer dollars through real oversight, and rooted out corruption instead of looking the other way, I’ll consider my job a success. Above all, I want Floridians to know they had a Chief Financial Officer who always put them first.
Campaign website: annettetaddeo.com
Campaign social media: Facebook | X | Instagram
| REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES |
Frank Collige
Occupation: Business owner
Public Adjuster
Age: 45
Family: My wife and kids
Education: Doctor of Buisness Administration
Masters in Industrial/Organizational Psychology
Masters in Forensic Psychology
Bachelors in Criminal Justice
Political experience: None
What do you see as the top three issues in this race, and how do you plan to address them?
The top issue is Florida’s insurance crisis. Families are paying some of the highest premiums in the nation, while too many policyholders face delays, denials, or underpayments when they file legitimate claims. As CFO, I will demand greater transparency in rate filings, require meaningful financial audits when insurers seek rate increases, strengthen fraud investigations regardless of who commits the fraud, and put consumers back at the center of the system.
The second issue is government transparency and accountability. Floridians deserve to know how their government spends taxpayer dollars. I will make financial information more accessible to the public, promote real audits instead of politically driven spending reviews, and ensure the Department of Financial Services operates with openness, integrity, and measurable accountability.
The third issue is restoring public trust. Too many Floridians believe the system is influenced by politics and special interests rather than the people it serves. I will lead independently, refuse contributions from the industries I regulate, enforce the law fairly, and make decisions based on facts, evidence, and the best interests of Florida’s citizens. My campaign has always been about one principle: Accountability. Integrity. Florida First.
How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?
Every candidate brings a different background. Mine is built around the work this office actually performs.
I have investigated regulatory violations for the State of Florida, earned a Doctor of Business Administration, built and operated successful businesses, and spent years working directly with Florida policyholders through some of the most difficult times of their lives. Those experiences have given me a practical understanding of financial oversight, regulation, fraud investigations, and the insurance marketplace that cannot be gained solely from serving in elected office.
Because I have worked on the front lines, I understand how decisions made in Tallahassee affect homeowners, business owners, first responders, and taxpayers. I know where regulations work, where they fall short, and where greater transparency and accountability are needed.
When elected, I will bring that practical experience to the Department of Financial Services. My focus will not be on maintaining the status quo, but on solving problems, enforcing the law fairly, and ensuring the Department serves the people of Florida with professionalism, integrity, and transparency.
What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?
I would hope to be remembered for restoring trust in the Department of Financial Services. If, at the end of my service, Floridians believed their government was more transparent, more accountable, and more responsive than when I took office, I would consider that a success.
I want to leave behind a Department that enforces the law fairly, follows the facts wherever they lead, and places the interests of Florida’s citizens above politics and special interests. I hope to be remembered for improving consumer confidence in our insurance system, strengthening financial oversight, combating fraud without fear or favor, and making government information more accessible so Floridians can hold their own government accountable.
Ultimately, I don’t want my legacy to be a headline or a single policy. I want it to be that the Department became an institution Floridians trusted because it consistently operated with integrity, transparency, and accountability.
Campaign website: www.frankforchange.com
Campaign social media: Facebook
Blaise Ingoglia
Occupation: Florida Chief Financial Officer
Age: 55
Family: Wife: Julie Ingoglia
Children: Jade, Madison and Ayden
Dogs: Miesha, Rousey and Georgie
Education: John Adams High School
Brooklyn College
Queens College
Political experience: Florida House of Representatives, 2014-2022
Chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, 2015-2019
Florida Senate, 2022-2025
Florida Chief Financial Officer, 2025-Present
What do you see as the top three issues in this race, and how do you plan to address them?
My priorities are simple:
1) Expose wasteful spending in this state regardless of political party and return that money in the form of property tax cuts.
2) Hold insurance companies accountable when they fail to live up to their contractual obligations while at the same time pushing for reduced rates to lower policy premiums.
3) Be aggressive on behalf of Floridians to make things more affordable and protect consumers through tax relief, lowering insurance premiums and rooting out corruption.
How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?
One Word: Results
Since taking office in July of 2025, I have redefined the role of the CFO. In one year my office has exposed billions of dollars in wasteful spending by both Democrats and Republicans, returned tens of millions of dollars to Floridians and arrested over 1,000 insurance scammers, child predators and criminals who defrauded innocent Floridians. Many people talk—I deliver results.
What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?
First and foremost, I want to be remembered as a staunch advocate for protecting taxpayers and Floridians. Everyone has lobbyists looking out for their own interests in Tallahassee. I will look out for the taxpayers interests. My role is to hold the line and stand with the taxpayers of this state on every issue. I want to people of Florida to know I am their voice against wasteful spending and overtaxation, not only in Tallahassee, but across this state.
Campaign website: blaiseforflorida.com