Democrats pick up seat in Florida Senate
Miami’s Annette Taddeo, 50, wins District 40 seat.
MIAMI — In a race viewed as a litmus test of President Donald Trump and Florida Democrats’ ability to make gains in local and statewide elections next year, Miami businesswoman Annette Taddeo coasted to victory Tuesday in a race to replace a disgraced former state senator.
The Colombia-born Democrat, who has never held public office, defeated former state Rep. Jose Felix Diaz, a Republican who stepped down from his House seat to run for the Senate. In turn, Republican Daniel Perez, an attorney, handily defeated Democrat Gabriela Mayaudon for the House District 116 seat that Diaz vacated in Miami-Dade County to run for the state Senate seat.
While Taddeo, 50, trailed Diaz in mail-in ballots, she made up the difference on Election Day and in early voting, winning by a decisive 3.7 percentage-point margin, according to results posted on the Miami-Dade County elections office website.
Taddeo’s victory in Senate District 40 is certain to bolster the hopes of Democrats, who have been outnumbered by a 24-15 margin in the state Senate, as they combat Republicans in local and statewide races next year.
Taddeo will replace former state Sen. Frank Artiles, a Republican who resigned after a profanity-laced and racially tinged outburst at a private club near the Capitol in the midst of this spring’s legislative session.
Taddeo ran unsuccessfully twice for Congress, most recently last year, and was U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist’s running mate in his failed 2014 attempt to recapture his old job as governor.
She was outgunned financially by Diaz, who had the backing of GOP Senate leaders. The abbreviated contest carried a whopping price tag of more than $2 million, including spending by the candidates and political action committees.
With all precincts reporting Tuesday night, Taddeo captured 50.95 percent of the vote, while Diaz received 47.21 percent and no-party candidate Christian “He-Man” Schlaerth got 1.84 percent, the elections office website said.
National Democrats celebrated Taddeo’s victory, pointing to it as an indictment of Trump.
“This crucial win tonight is a great representation of Democrats’ winning momentum and increased engagement in the Trump era,” Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee Executive Director Jessica Post said in a statement Tuesday night.