Taddeo Drops Out Of FL Governor Race, Will Run For U.S. House Seat

MIAMI, FL — South Florida Democrat Annette Taddeo has dropped out of the Sunshine State’s gubernatorial race to run for a U.S. House seat in the Miami area.

She's challenging Republican incumbent Maria Elvira Salazar to represent Florida’s Congressional District 27.

“We’re 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 interests of Miamians,” Taddeo shared on her social media pages. “After a conversation with my daughter about the realities our kids face daily, I knew what I needed to do.”

These conversations took place after mass shootings in Texas and New York, the sitting state senator told CBS News Miami.

"We are at a critical point in our country," she said. "And frankly, I am not going to stand on the sidelines and not go in there and fight, especially after what we saw in Buffalo and Uvalde."

In a video shared to social media, Taddeo also said, “I’m fighting for a Miami where we can afford to live, and a living wage for everyone. A woman’s right to make choices about her own body, economic growth through helping our small businesses, affordable health care, and tackling climate change and sea level rise. But more importantly, as a mom with a kid in public school we must do more to keep our children safe.”

Before changing gears, she initially announced in fall of 2021 that she planned to challenge GOP incumbent Gov. Ron DeSantis. She first faced other Democratic challengers in the primary elections, though, including U.S. House Rep. Charlie Crist and state Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried.

According to The Hill, her gubernatorial campaign was disadvantaged because she couldn’t campaign while the state legislature was in session.