Four candidates are competing for the Florida Chief Financial Officer seat in the Aug. 18, 2026, primary elections: Frank Collige, Earle Ford, Blaise Ingoglia, and Annette Taddeo. Ingoglia, who was appointed CFO in July 2025, faces a Republican primary challenge from Collige; on the Democratic side, Ford and Taddeo are running in a contested primary. Both are closed party primaries: registered Republicans may vote in the Republican primary, and registered Democrats may vote in the Democratic primary. The nominees from each party will advance to the November 3, 2026, general election.
For background, please visit The Executive Branch of Florida’s Government: A Primer on Sparker’s Soapbox.
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Research and campaign finance data for this post were compiled with assistance from Claude (Anthropic AI), drawing on the Florida Division of Elections, candidate websites, and Florida news sources. All information was reviewed and verified by the author.
The Republican Candidates
Blaise Ingoglia
Bio
Blaise Ingoglia was born Nov. 4, 1970, in New York City. He moved to Spring Hill, FL, in 1996, where he founded a mortgage company focused on helping first-time homebuyers and, in 2001, Hartland Homes, a home-building company serving the Spring Hill market. In 2007, he founded Government Gone Wild, a public awareness effort using live seminars and YouTube videos to highlight government spending; the videos have been viewed approximately 8 million times.
Ingoglia served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2014 to 2022 and as Chair of the Republican Party of Florida from 2015 to 2019. As Chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, he led statewide efforts to elect President Donald Trump and Governor Ron DeSantis. He served in the Florida Senate from 2022 until Jul. 21, 2025, when Gov. DeSantis appointed him Chief Financial Officer, filling the vacancy left by Jimmy Patronis’s resignation to run for Congress. Ingoglia is now seeking his first full four-year term. He lives in Spring Hill with his wife Julie. (website; Wikipedia; Ballotpedia)
Platform
Ingoglia’s campaign website lists the following priorities: lowering property taxes, tackling waste, fraud, and abuse, housing and property insurance affordability, “Don’t New York Our Florida,” “DEI – Deport every illegal,” longtime MAGA supporter, “One Person, One Vote, No Exceptions,” “Protecting Your Right to Protect Yourself,” “Standing with Our Heroes,” and “Protecting Natural Florida.” (website)
Endorsements
Ingoglia’s endorsements include:
- Ron DeSantis, Governor of Florida
- Jeff Atwater, former Florida Chief Financial Officer
- Republican Party of Florida
- Florida Professional Firefighters
- Florida Fraternal Order of Police
- Florida Police Benevolent Association
- Associated Industries of Florida
Ingoglia’s campaign website also lists endorsements from 60 sheriffs statewide, including Collier County Sheriff Kevin J. Rambosk; 16 state senators; 55 state representatives; and 13 state attorneys. (website)
Further Research
- website
- facebook.com/blaiseforflorida
- x.com/govgonewild (@GovGoneWild)
- instagram.com/blaiseingoglia
- youtube.com/@blaiseingogliaflorida
In the News
- Calling himself ‘unapologetically conservative,’ Blaise Ingoglia kicks off his campaign for CFO. (Florida Phoenix, 9/23/25)
- Informing or campaigning? CFO announces storm awareness initiative. (Florida Phoenix, 05/05/26)
- Qualified for ballot, Blaise Ingoglia carries more than $6M into first CFO campaign. (Florida Politics, 6/11/26)
- Blaise Ingoglia stretches fundraising lead in CFO race. (Florida Politics, 6/20/26)
- Florida CFO Blaise Ingoglia claims Palm Beach County wasted $1.2 billion over last 6 years. (WFLX, 06/16/26)
Frank Collige
Bio
Dr. Frank W. Collige is a United States Air Force veteran and public adjuster based in Florida. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1999 to 2010. After leaving the military, he founded Property Pros Consulting, a public adjusting firm that has grown to operate in eight states and manages more than 1,000 insurance claims annually. Collige holds a bachelor’s degree from American Military University (2008), a graduate degree from Northcentral University (2014), and a Doctor of Business Administration from Walden University (2024). This is his first run for statewide office. (website; Ballotpedia)
Platform
Collige’s priorities are financial transparency and accountability, insurance market stability and consumer protection, and disaster preparedness and financial resilience (website)
Endorsements
No endorsements were listed on Collige’s campaign website as of Jun. 28, 2026.
Further Research
In the News
Nothing of note found through Jul. 2, 2026.
Republican Campaign Finances
Ingoglia’s Contributions
Blaise Ingoglia raised $1,169,736 in monetary contributions from 891 donors through Jun. 19, 2026, plus $591,558 in in-kind contributions, leaving $953,111 in available funds. Ninety-five percent of monetary contributions to his candidate account ($1,109,146) came from Florida-based donors, with four percent ($49,490) from out-of-state donors.
In addition, two affiliated political committees hold additional resources:
- Friends of Blaise Ingoglia has raised $5,776,424 in monetary contributions and $235,017 in in-kind contributions, with $1,277,781 in expenditures and approximately $4.7 million in estimated available funds.
- Government Gone Wild PAC has raised $2,953,742 in monetary contributions and $87,181 in in-kind contributions, with $1,733,253 in expenditures and approximately $1.3 million in estimated available funds.
Committee figures cover all activity since each committee’s formation.
Across all three accounts, Ingoglia has raised approximately $9.9 million in monetary contributions, with an estimated $6.9 million in combined available resources.
Collige’s Contributions
Frank Collige raised $15,520 from 26 donors through Jun. 19, 2026. He has spent $13,329, leaving $2,191 in available funds. Nearly all of his support came from within Florida, with 99% of contributions from Florida-based donors and 1% ($290) from out-of-state donors.
Collige received no contributions from political committees.
The Democratic Candidates
Earle Ford
Bio
Earle Ford was born on a U.S. Air Force base and raised in small-town Wyoming. After serving for three years in the U.S. Army as an Airborne Infantryman, he earned a Juris Doctor (JD) from the Barry University Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law. During that time, he volunteered with voter protection efforts, the ACLU, and the Department of Veterans Affairs to help veterans understand their benefits. After law school, he joined the State Attorney’s Office in the 9th Judicial Circuit as a prosecutor, later moving to the Internal Revenue Service as a federal investigator. He came to Florida in 2015 and has lived in the Tampa Bay area since 2019.
Ford originally ran in the 2026 Democratic primary for Florida’s 13th Congressional District, raising approximately $600,000, before dropping out of that race in May to run for CFO instead. (website; Florida Politics)
Platform
Ford’s platform focuses on property insurance reform, protecting taxpayers, consumer protection, and government accountability. (website)
Endorsements
No endorsements were listed on Ford’s campaign website as of Jun. 28, 2026.
Further Research
- website
- x.com/EarleFordFL (@EarleFordFL)
- linkedin.com/in/earle-ford-a57372297
In the News
- Earle Ford drops CD 13 bid, announces run for CFO. (Florida Politics, 5/21/26)
Annette Taddeo
Bio
Annette Taddeo was born April 7, 1967, in Barrancabermeja, Colombia, to an Italian-American father, a U.S. World War II and Korean War fighter pilot, and a Colombian mother. After her father was kidnapped by FARC guerrillas, she moved to the United States at age 17, initially settling in Huntsville, AL. She graduated from the University of North Alabama with a degree in commercial Spanish and, shortly after, moved to Miami. In 1995, Taddeo founded LanguageSpeak, a language services company recognized as one of Florida’s Top 100 Small Businesses and one of the nation’s Top 500 Small Businesses. (Lobby Tools)
Taddeo entered politics in 2008 when she ran unsuccessfully against Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen for Florida’s 18th Congressional District. She remained active in local Democratic politics and ran as the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor alongside Charlie Crist in 2014. In September 2017, she won a special election for Florida Senate District 40, becoming the first Latina Democrat elected to the Florida Senate; she was re-elected in 2018. After announcing a gubernatorial run in 2021, she shifted to Florida’s 27th Congressional District race, losing to incumbent Republican Rep. María Elvira Salazar in 2022. She ran for Miami-Dade County Clerk and Comptroller in 2024 but lost. She announced her candidacy for CFO on Jun. 8-9, 2026. Taddeo is married to Eric Goldstein, a Miami psychologist, and they have a daughter, Sofia. (Wikipedia; WUSF)
Platform
Taddeo’s campaign website describes Florida families as “being robbed in plain sight” by insurance companies and calls for “an independent watchdog — not a political appointee who answers to the governor.” She has stated that as CFO, she will “hold the corrupt accountable — starting on day one.” (website; Florida Politics)
Endorsements
Taddeo has been endorsed by SEIU Florida, former Congresswoman Donna Shalala, former Florida CFO Alex Sink, United Faculty of Miami Dade College, (Facebook, Instagram, Florida Politics)
Further Research
- website
- facebook.com/annette.taddeo
- twitter.com/Annette_Taddeo (@Annette_Taddeo)
- instagram.com/annette_taddeo
- linkedin.com/in/annettetaddeo
- public.lobbytools.com/legislators/695
In the News
- Annette Taddeo would lead Blaise Ingoglia in a head-to-head CFO race, Ruth’s List poll finds. (Florida Politics, 5/28/26)
- Former State Sen. Annette Taddeo has announced Florida CFO bid. (WUSF, 06/08/26)
- A ‘watchdog,’ not a ‘lapdog’: Annette Taddeo is running to unseat Blaise Ingoglia as CFO. (Florida Politics, 06/08/26)
- Former state Sen. Annette Taddeo joins Florida CFO race, questions property tax plan and state spending. (WFLX, 06/9/26)
- Annette Taddeo says she’s running for Florida CFO to hold insurance companies accountable. (CBS Miami, 6/14/26)
- Former Democratic State Senator Annette Taddeo Announces CFO Run. (The Floridian, 6/9/26)
- Former Sen. Annette Taddeo and Miami Democrat Will Challenge Blaise Ingoglia for CFO. (FlaglerLive, 6/8/26)
Democratic Campaign Finances
Ford’s Contributions
Earle Ford’s total funds through Jun. 19, 2026, include $5,347 in outside contributions from 20 donors and an $8,000 personal loan. He has spent $8,499, leaving $4,848 in available funds.
Ninety-eight percent of contributions ($5,214) came from Florida-based donors. He received no contributions from political committees.
Taddeo’s Contributions
Annette Taddeo raised $25,636 in outside contributions from approximately 167 donors through Jun. 19, 2026, plus a $6,000 personal loan, leaving $22,210 in available funds after $9,426 in spending.
Eighty-eight percent of contributions ($23,505) came from Florida-based donors, with 11% ($3,056) from out-of-state donors.
Taddeo received $4,000 from three Miami-based political committees: Our Democracy PC ($1,000), Miami-Dade Safe and Secure PC ($1,500), and Accountable Miami-Dade ($1,500).
Summary
The Florida Chief Financial Officer race offers voters in both parties a choice on Aug. 18, 2026. The Republican contest features appointed incumbent Blaise Ingoglia against Frank Collige; the Democratic primary is contested between Earle Ford and Annette Taddeo. The winners of both primaries will advance to the general election ballot in November.
