Jesse Scheckner
Democratic state Sen. Annette Taddeo raised more than $110,000 after the end of the Legislative Session toward her bid to become Florida’s first Latina Governor, according to a Wednesday report from her campaign.
Taddeo’s official fundraising numbers from March are still pending formal filing with the Division of Elections, as are those of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, Democratic U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, Democratic Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried and some 20 other gubernatorial candidates. Those figures are due Monday.
Taddeo said her gains since March 14, when the Legislature adjourned, indicate she still is still enjoying support from constituents.
Florida lawmakers are prohibited from fundraising while the Legislative Session is underway.
“Our campaign is moved forward by contributions from teachers, single parents, union workers, and more everyday Floridians who believe in a better Florida and are ready to make history,” she said in a statement. “I will continue to work on the campaign trail, and everywhere until we share a state that works for all Floridians.”
Since announcing her candidacy for the Governor’s race on Oct. 18, Taddeo has steadily collected endorsements from current and former officeholders, including former U.S. Rep. Donna Shalala, state Sen. Victor Torres, state Rep. Kevin Chambliss, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and more than a dozen county, municipal and School Board elected officials.
She also received the backing of Latino Victory Fund, a progressive initiative founded in 2014 by activist Henry Muñoz III and actress Eva Longoria to grow Latino political power in the U.S.
Despite Taddeo’s healthy haul in recent weeks, she still trails DeSantis, Crist and Fried by far in overall campaign cash.
As of Feb. 28, Taddeo had about $703,000 between her campaign account and political committee, Fight Back Florida.
Crist, a former Republican who served as Florida’s 44th Governor from 2007 to 2011, has about $4.7 million. Fried has more than $3.6 million.
DeSantis, meanwhile, has been nothing short of a fundraising juggernaut with more than $88.5 million in pocket.
