Staff Reports
Chris King is lending a hand to Annette Taddeo.
King, an Orlando businessman and Democratic candidate for governor, will attend a phone bank Thursday for Taddeo, who on Tuesday won the Democratic primary in Senate District 40.
“I’m excited to congratulate Annette Taddeo on her primary victory and endorse her for State Senate,” he said in a statement Wednesday morning. “I look forward to joining her and her supporters for a general election kick-off phone bank on Thursday. In this tumultuous political time, it’s important that Democrats from around the state come together to support each other. I wish Annette the best of luck in the September general election.”
Taddeo handily defeated Ana Rivas Logan in the Senate District 40 Democratic primary. According to results posted to the Division of Elections website, Taddeo received nearly 71 percent of the vote, compared to 29 percent for Rivas Logan.
“I’m so grateful to have Chris’s support and thrilled to be calling voters together on Thursday,” said Taddeo. “Chris has brought refreshing leadership and a hopeful, new energy to the party. And it’s great to see a candidate for governor who’s willing to work with progressive candidates up and down the ballot to get the job done.”
Taddeo will face Jose Felix Diaz in the Sept. 26 general election. Diaz defeated former state Sen. Alex Diaz de la Portilla, winning nearly 58 percent of the vote. Diaz de la Portilla received about 25 percent of the vote, while Lorenzo Palomares brought in 16 percent.
The Senate District 40 seat is seen as a potential Democratic pick-up, and the general election is expected to be a hotly contested and expensive race.
The Florida Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee, which works to elect Republicans, has already pledged to throw its full support behind Diaz
