A week after pulling out of Florida’s gubernatorial race, Sen. Annette Taddeo endorsed Rep. Charlie Crist in his bid to unseat Gov. Ron DeSantis. Crist, who has led Democratic primary polling for several months now, in May received $1 million in fundraising.
Taddeo served as Crist’s running mate in his campaign for governor in 2014, which he ultimately conceded to Rick Scott. Following her exit from the gubernatorial primary, Taddeo announced she would instead run in the race for Florida’s 27th Congressional District against Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar in what is shaping to be one of the state’s most compelling races.
“We need someone that can unite us, somebody that can bring us together and represent all people,” said Taddeo. “We need a governor that cares about Floridians the way Crist has cared about Floridians. I am one-hundred percent behind you.”
In the latest aggregate of polls for the primary, Crist leads Fried from a range of +8 to +33, depending on the pollster. Though seen as the favorite to take on DeSantis in November, the incumbent governor appears unlikely to falter in the general election, amassing another massive fundraising month in May and polling at +21 in the most recent University of North Florida Public Research Poll.
“I could not be more humbled and thankful to earn the support of my friend and colleague, Senator [Annette Taddeo],” said Crist on Twitter. “She’s a beacon of inspiration, and together, we’re going to fight for a Florida where everyone has the opportunity to thrive and have their voices heard.”
Crist in April was the first Democratic primary candidate to bring in more than $1 million in a single month, repeating the feat again in May and indicating that he may be gaining statewide traction.
Crist in May raised $517,490 for Friends of Charlie Crist, the Representative’s political action group, which now holds more than $4.5 million on hand, according to Division of Elections documents.
Crist additionally raised $492,732 for his personal account last month.
Fried continues to lag in fundraising, raising just $107,667 in May for her own political committee. Fried, who presently serves as the state Commissioner of Agriculture, raised $194,861 for her campaign account, just surpassing $300,000 for the month.
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