Voters in the key Florida Senate District 40 will have to decide for themselves whether incumbent Annette Taddeo is really a National Rifle Association wolf in a Democrat’s clothing.
She is one of the only Liberals in the country ever to receive a “Thank You” note from the gun owners’ group.
In this case, the controversial NRA wanted to thank her for her Senate vote against a gun-control bill supported by 17 families affected by the St. Valentine’s Day attack on Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in nearby Broward County. Later in the session, she voted against the state budget, something the NRA pushed for.
Whether Taddeo secretly supports NRA policies has become such a hot potato in South Florida that Taddeo has been reduced to using some of the $1 million she raised for her campaign on TV ads where she clamors she is “taking on the NRA.”
One ad shows plenty of footage of young children in the hallway of a school, red meat for the security-conscious suburbanites that Taddeo seeks to represent, as Taddeo says she’s working to ensure that children get “a safe, high-quality education.”
Here it is:

Deceitful advertising?
Earlier this year, Colombian-American Taddeo, who finally won the seat last year after four lost elections, voted against the so-called Marjory Stoneman Douglas Public Safety Act, a bipartisan bill that included three gun-control measures as well as money for school security and mental health treatment. The bill received support from the families who lost loved ones in the Feb. 14 Parkland school shooting, a massacre that cost the lives of 17 people.
The multi-millionaire owner of a translation service and Charlie Crist‘s running mate in the 2014 gubernatorial race, Taddeo says she voted against the bill because of the provisions arming school staff, including teachers. The measure still passed and was signed into law by Gov. Rick Scott.
Taddeo could’ve come to her senses later in the legislative session when the time came to vote for the budget, a document that funded the Safety Act without the mandate to arm teachers.
There again, Taddeo sided with the NRA and became one of just five Democrats casting a nay vote.
The NRA loved her stance so much that the group’s Florida lobbyist sent her the “thank you” note – this, despite the fact the group gave Taddeo an “F” from the NRA for her gun-related votes.
Here is the letter:

Lobbyist Marion Hammer’s missive ended up in a mailer sent to potential voters by Taddeo’s Republican opponent, Mariana “Marili” Cancio.
Taddeo was so uncomfortable about the note that she originally claimed she never received it. So Hammer sent another one last month.
Taddeo hasn’t been returning calls and responding to text messages asking her about the NRA allegations. But Christian Ulvert, Taddeo’s campaign honcho, denied Taddeo is supporting causes brought forward by the NRA and accused Cancio, who’s behind in fundraising, of trying to muddy the waters two weeks before the Nov. 6 election.
“The bottom line is that voters in district will see right through this failed attempt by Marili Cancio to purposely lie to them,” said Ulvert, who added the mailer was part of a coordinated effort with the NRA to embarrass Taddeo.
“The facts are clear, Senator Taddeo is lying and misleading our residents. She voted against the School Safety Bill and all of the 17 victims’ families,” said Marili Cancio. “ Taddeo put politics before the safety of our children. I will always put the families of District 40 first.”