State Sen. Annette Taddeo (D-Miami) announced Monday that she was going to withdraw from the Florida governor’s race — where she promised to become the first Latina guv — and will instead run in the primary for the congressional seat in Florida’s 27th Congressional District against U.S. Rep. María Elvira Salazar.
She said the guns made her do it.
“After the tragedies in Buffalo and Uvalde and a conversation with my daughter about the realities our kids face daily, I knew what I needed to do,” Taddeo said in a statement. “We are at a pivotal moment in our country and we desperately need leadership in Washington that can be trusted to put politics aside for the best interest of Miamians.”
But this switch has been rumored for at least a month, when Miami-Dade Commissioner Eileen Higgins cut her congressional campaign real short — less than a week after announcing — because, she wanted to support Taddeo, whos campaign people denied any kind of change.
Read related: Surprise Eileen Higgins ‘withdrawal’ in CD27 raises questions, causes confusion
The truth is that Taddeo was struggling in the governor’s campaign. She was third in polls, third in fundraising. “I had a decision to make. I could stay in a bruising primary or I could fight in this congressional,” Taddeo told Channel 4’s Jim DeFede.
Las malas lenguas say that Taddeo polled quite a while ago in CD27 and did freakishly well — causing Higgins to stay put — so many insiders expected her to switch gears. The recent shooting tragedies only gave her a good excuse.
“Families in Miami need a representative in Congress who will stand up for them, hold Washington politicians accountable and make sure we finally tackle issues like the cost of living, gun violence, and defending a woman’s right to choose,” Taddeo said in her statement.
Read related: Annette Taddeo funding lags far behind Charlie Crist, Nikki Fried in guv’s race
She changed her pinned tweet late Monday from ‘Yay, I’m running for gov,’ to “excited for the opportunity to earn the trust and support of the people who live in Florida’s 27th Congressional District which includes much of the area I’ve been grateful to represent in my historic time in the Florida Senate since 2017.”
Not so fast, says Miami Commissioner Ken Russell, who made a switch of his own — from U.S. Senate against Marco Rubio, because he couldn’t beat Val Demings — to CD27, and is standing in the way between Taddeo and Salazar with an Aug. 23 Democratic primary.
So it’s a consolation prize contest.
Both Russell and Taddeo have represented voters in this district for years because their current districts overlap.
Russell has already raised has $1.4 million and has a campaign field team in place. Last week, he announced the launching of his canvassing efforts, which he expects to reach 150,000 doors by election day. This week, he’s officially launching the campaign with a block party.
Read related: Annette Taddeo starts guv campaign with a bang — and $650K from donors
He also already has the endorsement of 14 local electeds and five labororganizations. Oh, and veteran Miami Heat power forward Udonis Haslem.
“This isn’t going to be a race about gender,” Russell told Ladra. “It’s going to be a race about who’s delivered.”
But he doesn’t expect there to be a nasty primary campaign. Just like Taddeo is ignoring him, he’s going to stay away from talking about her.
“You won’t see me get in a fight with another Democrat,” Russell said.
Salazar is ignoring them, too. There was no response to Taddeo’s switch on her social media. Instead, the congresswoman wished a happy birthday to Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez.
Sen. Annette Taddeo shifts from Florida guv’s race to congressional bid in CD27 added by Ladra on
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[…] Read related: Sen. Annette Taddeo shifts from Florida guv’s race to congressional bid in CD27 […]
[…] are two who want to reclaim congressional seats lost in 2020: Sen. Annette Taddeo, who is running to unseat Maria Elvira Salazar in District 27, and former State Rep. Robert Asencio, who is running to unseat […]
[…] candidates are two who want to reclaim congressional seats lost in 2020: Sen. Annette Taddeo, who is running to unseat Maria Elvira Salazar in District 27, and former State Rep. Robert Asencio, who is running to unseat […]
[…] Read related: Sen. Annette Taddeo shifts from Florida guv’s race to congressional bid in CD27 […]
That crook Ken Russell should drop out he is probably polling at 3% BUT Ken doll loves to collect money from lobbyists and developers who want to buy his vote on City of Miami issues. Isn’t selling your vote illegal?
Either Democrat, Annette Taddeo or Ken Russell, would be infinitely preferable to María Elvira Salazar, one of many Republican cowards who refuse to criticize Trump for spreading the big lie that he won the 2020 presidential election. Shame on all of these Republicans who don’t believe in democracy!
Taddeo is a huge improvement over the flip flopping selfie queen Ken doll Russell. That Ken dope voted to kill not one but two public parks.
[…] Read related: Sen. Annette Taddeo shifts from Florida guv’s race to congressional bid in CD27 […]
Ken Russell gets a pay check for a NO SHOW job. He is screwing City of Miami taxpayers . Ken doll has been out of town campaigning for jobs he has no hope of getting. YET, he keeps taking money from Miami taxpayers… Every two weeks Ken doll cashes a paycheck…
Ken Russell is only in the race to collect money from real estate developers who bought his vote (or votes) at the City of Miami. This Ken dude voted to kill public parks just as more people learned about Climate Change and as more people experience massive flooding in their neighborhoods. Dude’s career is dead.
So she’s 1 for 4 on successful candidacies & shooting for 1 in 5? Looking long-term, at what point is it better to gracefully withdraw than to be labeled perennial candidate?
Ken Russell voted to up zone the taxpayer owned Watson Island. Instead of the public getting a world class park developers will kill all the trees and grass and build concrete buildings. And Russell voted Yes to demolish Melreese Park. His public career is dead. Over. Nada.
Has anyone ever hear Toddeo talk. Very angry and doesn’t stand a chance with the republican wave coming. Go away.
“Families in Miami need a representative in Congress who will stand up for them, hold Washington politicians accountable and make sure we finally tackle issues like the cost of living, gun violence, and defending a woman’s right to choose.” She is so full of it. “Cost of living” is an issue driven by his own party’s government goons. We used to be energy independent under Trump, and now the price of gas increased 50% between the day FJB took office ($2.39/gallon) and the day Russia invaded Ukraine ($3.57/gallon). Of course the “Putin Price Hike” increased the price of gas an extra 36%. So, it’s not like she is going to fix anything on that front. Gun violence is a direct result of the lack of control over how guns are sold, in part, but also is an issue heavily impacted by the push on defunding police and the massive retirement wave in the police force all over the USA. Coincidentally, the highest level of crimes are seen in Democratic-led cities and states. As to defending “a woman’s right choose” is clearly an issue that should go back to the states and their duly elected representatives. If she cares so much for this particular issue, she should run for the Florida congress, not the US House. One vote out of 435… She’s doomed.
Ken Russell is a creep. He has ONLY been able to raise money because a majority
of the donors are buying his vote on City of Miami Agenda items. Or they already bought his vote and they are thanking him with a payoff to his latest campaign account. Russell voted Yes to demolish 130 acres of Melreese Park. A park that is used to capture water runoff…
Biondi Decia ” Donde Me PONGO ” ,Tadeo esta Igual ! She Doesn’t Know Where To Go ? Her Handlers Neither !
It’s so interesting how Ms. Taddeo says that after the shooting tragedies and a deep talk with her daughter she knew what she had to do, when she really knew what she had to do was just looking at her bleak poll numbers against DeSantis and of course returning the donations is out of the question so she found a seat to run for knowing she doesn’t have a chance in winning.