Annette Joanne Taddeo-Goldstein (née Taddeo /təˈdeɪ.oʊ/; born April 7, 1967) is a Colombian-American politician and businesswoman who served as a member of the Florida Senate from the 40th district from 2017 to 2022. She was an unsuccessful candidate for several elections starting in 2008 and was Charlie Crist’s running mate in the 2014 Florida gubernatorial election. She was formerly a Democratic candidate in the 2022 Florida gubernatorial election, but withdrew to run for Congress in Florida’s 27th congressional district to unsuccessfully challenge incumbent María Elvira Salazar.[1] She is currently running for Miami-Dade County Clerk and Comptroller.[2]

Early life and education

Taddeo was born in Barrancabermeja, Colombia, to an Italian-American father and Colombian mother. Her early life was spent in Colombia until she moved to live with family friends in Huntsville, Alabama, at the age of 17. She graduated from the University of North Alabama with a degree in commercial Spanish. Shortly after, she moved to Miami. In 1995, Taddeo started a translation business, now called LanguageSpeak.[3]

Career

Taddeo entered politics in 2008 when she ran against Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen for Florida’s 18th Congressional District, which then included parts of coastal Miami-Dade and the Florida Keys. Taddeo was unopposed in the Democratic primary but lost to Ros-Lehtinen in the general election, 58 to 42%.[4]

Two years later, Taddeo ran for an open seat on the Miami-Dade County Commission.[5] She placed third in the nonpartisan primary, garnering 21%.[6]

Taddeo remained active in local Democratic politics, and in December 2012 was elected chair of the county’s Democratic Executive Committee. As county party chair, she organized support for successful Democratic candidates in Miami Beach, Homestead, and other local elections. She also led an effort for Democrats to compete in every local State House election in 2014. In the end, only two of the seats within the county lacked a Democratic candidate that year, the fewest since 1984.[3]

2014 Florida gubernatorial election

Main article: 2014 Florida gubernatorial election

In July 2014, gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist, who had previously served as governor as a Republican, named Taddeo as his running mate.[7] The Crist-Taddeo ticket lost the general election to incumbent Republican governor Rick Scott and lieutenant governor Carlos López-Cantera, 48.1 to 47.1%.[8]

2016 congressional campaign

Main article: 2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Florida § District 26

Taddeo ran for Congress again in 2016, in the 26th district, based in southern Miami-Dade and the Florida Keys. She lost the Democratic primary to former Congressman Joe Garcia, 51.3 to 48.7%.[9][10] Garcia went on to lose the general election to the incumbent, Republican Carlos Curbelo. During the campaign, some of Taddeo’s secret campaign documents, some of which highlighted her weaknesses as a candidate, were made public. It later came out that Taddeo was one of several Democratic House candidates targeted by Russian hackers, and the documents were stolen from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and released to reporters and bloggers in order to undermine Democratic campaigns in competitive districts.[11]

Florida Senate

In September 2017, Taddeo was elected in a special election for Florida’s Senate District 40. The election was called to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Republican senator Frank Artiles. Taddeo won the primary election against former state representative and Miami-Dade School Board Member Ana Rivas Logan, 71 to 29%.[12] Taddeo defeated Republican state representative José Félix Díaz in the general election, 51 to 47%.[13] She was re-elected in 2018.

2022 Florida gubernatorial election

Main article: 2022 Florida gubernatorial election § Democratic primary

In October 2021, Taddeo announced she would run for the Democratic primary in the 2022 Florida gubernatorial election. She opposed Charlie Crist, whom she ran alongside in his 2014 campaign for governor.[14]

In June 2022, Taddeo announced that she would exit the gubernatorial primary and would instead run in the 2022 Florida’s 27th congressional district race.[15] Taddeo defeated Ken Russell in the primary election on August 23 to win the Democratic nomination, and unsuccessfully challenged incumbent Republican María Elvira Salazar in the November general election.[16]

2022 congressional campaign

Main article: 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Florida § District 27

Taddeo won the primary in August against Miami City Commissioner Ken Russell and progressive activist Angel Montalvo.
Despite trying to win over Latin voters in the historically Democratic Miami-Dade County and make Florida’s 27th congressional district competitive, Taddeo lost by 15% to incumbent Maria Elvira Salazar.

Personal life

Taddeo is married to Eric Goldstein, a Miami psychologist. They have a daughter, Sofia. Annette also has twin stepdaughters from her husband’s previous marriage.[17]

Taddeo was raised Catholic but converted to Judaism in her 20s.[18]

Electoral history

Early elections, 2008–16

2008 General Election, Florida’s 18th Congressional District[19]
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanIleana Ros-Lehtinen (incumbent) 140,617 57.9%
DemocraticAnnette Taddeo102,37242.1%
Total votes242,989
2010 Nonpartisan Primary, Dade County Commission District 8[20]
CandidateVotes%
Eugene Flinn5,61029.8
Lynda G. Bell4,69024.9
Annette Taddeo3,99121.2
A.E. “Albert” Harum-Alvarez2,08011.1
Obdulio Piedra1,3507.2
Daniel “Danny” Marmorstein1,0985.8
Total votes18,819
2014 Florida Gubernatorial Election[21]
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanRick Scott/Carlos López-Cantera 2,865,343 48.1%
DemocraticCharlie Crist/Annette Taddeo2,801,19847.1%
LibertarianAdrian Wyllie/Greg Roe223,3563.8%
No Party AffiliationGlenn Burkett/Jose Augusto Matos41,3410.7%
No Party AffiliationFarid Khavari/Lateresa A. Jones20,1860.3%
Total votes5,951,561
2016 Democratic Primary, Florida’s 26th Congressional District[22]
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticJoe Garcia 14,834 51.3%
DemocraticAnnette Taddeo14,10848.7%
Total votes28,942

Florida Senate, 2017–18

July 25, 2017 Special Democratic Primary, Florida Senate District 40[23]
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticAnnette Taddeo 7,101 70.7%
DemocraticAna Rivas Logan2,94129.3%
Total votes10,042
September 26, 2017 Special General Election, Florida Senate District 40[24]
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticAnnette Taddeo 22,656 51.0%
RepublicanJosé Félix Díaz20,98747.2%
No Party AffiliationChristian “He-Man” Schlaerth8201.8%
Total votes44,463
November 6, 2018 General Election, Florida Senate District 40[25]
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticAnnette Taddeo 90,924 53.5%
RepublicanMarili Cancio79,06846.5%
Total votes169,992

Post-Senate career, 2022–

2022 Democratic Primary, Florida’s 27th Congressional District[26]
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticAnnette Taddeo 27,015 67.8%
DemocraticKen Russell10,33725.9%
DemocraticAngel Montalvo2,4936.3%
Total votes39,845
Florida’s 27th congressional district, 2022[27]
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanMaria Elvira Salazar (incumbent) 136,038 57.3%
DemocraticAnnette Taddeo101,40442.7%
Total votes237,442

References

  1. ^ Scheckner, Jesse (June 6, 2022). “Annette Taddeo drops out of Governor’s race, will run for Congress”. Florida Politics. Retrieved June 6, 2022.
  2. ^ Scheckner, Jesse (February 5, 2024). “Annette Taddeo files to run for Miami-Dade Clerk”. Florida Politics.
  3. ^ a b Mazzei, Patricia; Caputo, Marc (July 20, 2014). “A closer look at Annette Taddeo, Charlie Crist’s running mate”. Miami Herald. Retrieved September 27, 2017.
  4. ^ “November 4, 2008 General Election Results”. Florida Division of Elections. Retrieved September 27, 2017.
  5. ^ Alvarado, Francisco (April 22, 2010). “Annette Taddeo to Run for Katy Sorenson’s Seat”. Miami New Times. Retrieved September 27, 2017.
  6. ^ “August 24, 2010 Primary Election”. Miami-Dade County Elections. Retrieved September 27, 2017.
  7. ^ Caputo, Marc (July 17, 2014). “Crist names Miamian Annette Taddeo-Goldstein as running mate”. Miami Herald. Retrieved September 27, 2017.
  8. ^ “November 4, 2014 General Election Results”. Florida Division of Elections. Retrieved September 27, 2017.
  9. ^ “August 30, 2016 Primary Election Results”. Florida Division of Elections. Retrieved September 27, 2017.
  10. ^ Mazzei, Patricia; Viglucci, Andres; Chardy, Alfonso (August 30, 2016). “Garcia ekes out victory over Taddeo, setting up Curbelo rematch”. Miami Herald. Retrieved September 27, 2017.
  11. ^ Lipton, Eric; Shane, Scott (December 13, 2016). “Democratic House Candidates Were Also Targets of Russian Hacking”. New York Times. Retrieved September 27, 2017.
  12. ^ “July 25, 2017 Special Primary Results”. Florida Division of Elections. Retrieved September 27, 2017.
  13. ^ Democrat Annette Taddeo wins Miami-area state Senate seat, Miami Herald / AP. September 26, 2017.
  14. ^ Padró Ocasio, Bianca (October 18, 2021). “Miami Democrat Annette Taddeo launches campaign to be Florida’s first Latina governor”. Miami Herald. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
  15. ^ Greenwood, Max (June 6, 2022). “Democrat Taddeo ends bid for Florida governor, will run for Miami House seat”. The Hill. Retrieved June 6, 2022.
  16. ^ Flechas, Joey. “Annette Taddeo wins Democratic primary, will challenge Salazar for congressional seat”. Miami Herald. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
  17. ^ Bordas, Alexandria (July 5, 2017). “Two women vie for votes to replace disgraced former Sen. Frank Artiles”. Miami Herald. Retrieved September 29, 2017.
  18. ^ “Annette Taddeo’s leap of faith”. September 7, 2022.
  19. ^ “Florida Department of State – Election Results”. results.elections.myflorida.com. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  20. ^ “Dade – Election Results”. results.enr.clarityelections.com. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  21. ^ “Florida Department of State – Election Results”. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  22. ^ “Florida Department of State – Election Results”. results.elections.myflorida.com. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  23. ^ “Florida Department of State – Election Results”. results.elections.myflorida.com. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  24. ^ “Florida Department of State – Election Results”. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  25. ^ “Florida Department of State – Election Results”. results.elections.myflorida.com. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  26. ^ “Primary Results”. Archived from the original on September 3, 2022. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
  27. ^ “November 8, 2022 General Election – Official Results”. Florida Department of State.

External links

Florida Senate
Preceded by

 Member of the Florida Senate
from the 40th district
2017–2022		Succeeded by

Alexis Calatayud
Redistricted


source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annette_Taddeo