Fresh off losing in a congressional primary last year, Annette Taddeo announced on Tuesday that she will run for the Democratic nomination in the special election to replace Republican Frank Artiles in the Florida Senate.
Taddeo, who lost out to former U.S. Rep. Joe Garcia in last year’s primary and was former Gov. Charlie Crist’s running mate on the Democratic ticket that tried to dislodge Gov. Rick Scott in 2014, launched her bid for the state Senate. Those were just the latest in a series of electoral losses for Taddeo who also failed when she ran for Congress against U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., and for a seat on the Miami Dade County Commission. During her tenure as chairwoman of the Miami Dade Democrats, Taddeo made a bid to lead the Florida Democratic Party which also came up short.
Kicking off her latest campaign on Tuesday, Taddeo made her opening pitch while her team noted that she did well in the Senate district in last year’s primary.
“Through our campaign, we can right a wrong and show how this community can come together, regardless of race, gender or religion,” Taddeo said. “I know that in this election, residents from every part of Senate District 40, including those who stood firm in demanding Frank Artiles resign, will send a clear message to Tallahassee that the days of division are behind us. Miami-Dade families know that to get real results for our residents we need to take a people first approach to Tallahassee. I am excited for the journey ahead and campaigning hard to earn the support of my neighbors in Senate District 40.”
Taddeo doesn’t have an open shot at the Democratic nomination as state Rep. Daisy Baez, D-Coral Gables, is already running. Baez launched her bid at the start of last week.
"As a veteran and an immigrant, I have spent my adult life working hard to repay this country for the incredible opportunities provided to my family and I so we could achieve the American Dream,” Baez said as she entered the race. “Serving in the Florida House has been an incredibly rewarding experience, and serving in the Florida Senate will allow me to continue to work on behalf of our community in a much greater capacity.
"I'm running for state Senate which is where I believe the most good can be accomplished on behalf of Floridians,” Baez added. “The people of Miami-Dade deserve to have high quality public schools for their children, good-paying jobs that provide economic security for working families, and access to quality, affordable healthcare. I look forward to continuing my steadfast advocacy on behalf of Florida families in the state Senate.”
Baez reeled in the endorsements of two gubernatorial candidates on Monday as Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum and former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham, D-Fla., threw their support to her.
On the Republican side, last week former state Sen. Alex Diaz de la Portilla jumped into the race. State Rep. Jose Felix Diaz, R-Miami, is also a possible candidate for the Republican nomination.
The primary will be held on July 25 and the special general election on September 26.
