Primary Results Bring General Election Matchups Into Focus
In Tuesday’s primary elections, Floridians selected party nominees who will compete this November for the Governor’s Mansion and Cabinet offices that play important roles in Florida’s insurance regulatory system. While property insurance was not the dominant issue in every statewide race, Florida consumers and businesses continue to rank affordability and availability of insurance among their concerns. As a result, the candidates’ positions on insurance-related issues may receive increased attention during the upcoming general election campaigns and into the winners’ administrations.
Governor: Byron Donalds vs. David Jolly
The most closely watched statewide contest is the race to succeed Governor Ron DeSantis, who is term-limited. Governor DeSantis advocated for the property insurance reforms that have stabilized Florida’s residential property insurance market. The Governor has been steadfast in resisting efforts to roll back or undermine the reforms.
Republican voters selected Congressman Byron Donalds as their nominee, while Democratic voters chose former Congressman David Jolly.
Byron Donalds supports creating an insurance scorecard to assist consumers with comparing insurers. He recently commented that Governor DeSantis and the legislature did great work adopting the reforms and indicated he will keep those reforms in place. However, he also said Florida needs to go further by providing more information to consumers and pushing to reduce costs by 20% through modernizing outdated regulations. Donalds has mentioned potentially making changes to the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund, although details about any proposed changes are not yet available.
David Jolly has proposed creating a statewide fund to insure catastrophic risk in the state, leaving the admitted market to compete for the ex-wind policies. Jolly contends that large, national insurers are not writing property insurance in Florida because “they know there’s not a profit model.” According to reports, Jolly points to possible revenue sources for such a fund that would include increasing taxes on insurance companies, a documentary stamp tax on real estate transactions or using tourism revenue.
Chief Financial Officer: Blaise Ingoglia vs. Annette Taddeo
Voters also selected nominees for Chief Financial Officer, a position that heads the Florida Department of Financial Services and serves as a member of the Florida Cabinet. The Governor and Cabinet together serve as the Financial Services Commission, which oversees the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation and the Florida Office of Financial Regulation.
Incumbent Blaise Ingoglia won the Republican nomination, while former state senator Annette Taddeo secured the Democratic nomination. For many insurance professionals, this may be the statewide race most directly connected to insurance regulation because the Department of Financial Services regulates insurance producers, operates the Division of Consumer Services and has other direct involvement in insurance-related issues.
Since becoming CFO, Ingoglia has generally emphasized government accountability, spending oversight, disaster preparedness, and fiscal management. He has largely worked within the framework created by the 2022 insurance reforms.
Taddeo has made insurance affordability a central feature of her campaign. She has highlighted Florida’s property insurance challenges and has called for increased accountability within the insurance marketplace. Her campaign has emphasized serving as an independent watchdog and increasing scrutiny of industry practices.
Agriculture Commissioner: Wilton Simpson vs. Joey Mendoza Atkins
Republican incumbent Wilton Simpson and Democrat Joey Mendoza Atkins advanced to the general election for Commissioner of Agriculture. The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is not a primary insurance regulator. Insurance issues therefore have not been prominent in this race. Nonetheless, the Commissioner of Agriculture is a member of the Financial Services Commission and therefore participates in major insurance-related policy discussions.
Attorney General: James Uthmeier vs. Jose Javier Rodriguez
The Attorney General race will feature Republican James Uthmeier and Democrat Jose Javier Rodriguez, who advanced without contested primaries. The Attorney General’s Office can significantly influence insurance-related litigation, consumer protection matters, and legal interpretations affecting Florida’s insurance marketplace. Uthmeier served as Chief of Staff to Governor Ron DeSantis prior to being appointed Attorney General. Rodriguez vows to “provide relief for homeowners from sky-high insurance rates” and to “hold powerful corporations accountable.”
Property insurance remains one of the most important public-policy issues facing Florida. While recent reforms have been credited by many industry participants with improving market stability and attracting new private-market capacity, some consumers continue to express frustration about premium levels and affordability. This will keep property insurance at the forefront of some of the upcoming races, particularly in positions that are most directly involved in insurance policymaking.