Latest news with #Ron DeSantis
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Governor DeSantis appoints Blaise Ingoglia as Florida's chief financial officer
The Brief Gov. Ron DeSantis has appointed Blaise Ingoglia as Florida's new chief financial officer. Ingoglia is a Florida Senator who previously served as Chairman of the Republican Party of Florida. The announcement came at a press conference in Tampa on Wednesday. TAMPA, Fla. - Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Florida Sen. Blaise Ingoglia as the state's new chief financial officer at a news conference in Tampa on Wednesday. Ingoglia succeeds U.S. Rep. Jimmy Patronis, who resigned earlier this year to run for Congress, ultimately winning a special election to replace former Rep. Matt Gaetz. Who is Blaise Ingoglia? The backstory A native of New York City, Ingoglia moved to Spring Hill in 1996 and founded Hartland Homes before running for public office in Hernando County in 2008. His first foray into state government came in 2014 when he was elected to the Florida House of Representatives. Ingoglia has served in the Florida Senate since 2022, representing District 11 – which consists of Citrus, Hernando, and Sumter counties, plus part of Pasco County. Ingoglia also served as Chairman of the Republican Party of Florida from 2015 until 2019, and has been described as a loyal supporter of DeSantis. His campaign website describes him as a "a leader on cutting taxes, fighting illegal immigration, protecting parental rights in education, and standing up to the Woke Mob." Dig deeper DeSantis' pick sets up a potential political war between the governor's camp and President Donald Trump's. Trump had originally endorsed Republican State Sen. Joe Gruters for the role. "If George Washington rose from the dead and came back and tapped me on the shoulder and said, 'will you appoint Joe Gruters CFO?' My response would be, 'no, I can't do that,'" said DeSantis. "I am appointing the most conservative senator in the state of Florida, someone that has a very clear record as a warrior." Ingoglia backed not only the governor's policies, but also his politics. He fought against the house's effort to strip immigration power from the governor, against the recreational marijuana amendment and the governor's property tax reform priority. But, he also fought for the governor in his 2024 presidential primary race against Trump. "If Blaise supported the Perez-Gruters amnesty bill, he would not be standing on this stage today," said DeSantis. "That's just the truth. And, I like him personally, but it doesn't matter. It's all about the record." Trump's endorsement of Gruters for CFO came in March of last year, in which he said Gruters, "did more than anyone to turn Florida red." "I do understand that there are powerful forces that are backing his bid," said Ingoglia. "I personally don't think that they know just how bad his legislative record is." The Gruters camp is firing back with news that they hired two of Trump's top advisors to manage his campaign, and a wink to Republican primary voters who chose Trump in the 2024 presidential primary over DeSantis by saying: "Appointing a never-Trumper for CFO over Trump's endorsed candidate will be viewed as a direct rebuke to the MAGA agenda and will end up just like DeSantis' other anti-MAGA efforts." What they're saying During Wednesday's news conference, DeSantis called Ingoglia "the most conservative Senator in the State of Florida." "Yes, he's got a great financial record, which is important, but I looked even broader than that because I want to be able to say 'who's running toward these fights and who's running and hiding?'" DeSantis said. Ingoglia also spoke at the news conference, saying spending has long been a priority of his at the state and local levels. "I promise you we are going to start digging in, and we are going to start calling out some of this wasteful spending," Ingoglia said. "We are going to be a proactive office. People call me a conservative pit bull in the Senate. I am going to be the conservative pit bull when it comes to spending as your next CFO, that I will promise you." Ingoglia talked about housing affordability, as well, including a direct message to property insurance companies that operate in the state. "If an insurance company does not do what they say they're going to do and are contractually obligated to do, I am going to call you out," Ingoglia said. "I am going to make sure that people know that the CFO will stand with people against unscrupulous insurance who are not doing what they are supposed to be doing." What's next It remains to be seen how the president himself will react to this appointment ahead of the 2026 primary, which is now just over a year away. The Source This story was written with information from a news conference in Tampa, Florida, on July 16, 2025, with additional biographical details from Blaise Ingoglia's campaign website and Pasco-Hernando State College. Solve the daily Crossword
The Independent
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Another DeSantis ally takes the helm of a public university in Florida
Another former Republican lawmaker and ally of Gov. Ron DeSantis is officially taking the helm of one of Florida's public universities. Manny Diaz, who DeSantis previously appointed to be his state commissioner of education, started his first day on the job Monday as the interim president of the University of West Florida in Pensacola. Diaz is a former social studies teacher and assistant principal who as a state lawmaker became one of the key architects behind Florida's recent push to expand charter schools, which are publicly funded but privately run. He'll lead the school on an interim basis while university leaders conduct a job search, and is expected to pursue the permanent position. 'I am honored to step into this role and lead the University of West Florida into this next chapter. UWF has a proud legacy and a promising future, and I look forward to working alongside our students, faculty, staff and community partners to continue building on its momentum," Diaz said in a statement. 'Together, we will advance and explore new opportunities to serve our region and state with excellence.' With Diaz's appointment, five of the state's 12 public universities will be led by former Republican lawmakers or lobbyists, a move that is expected to help extend DeSantis' legacy in higher education long after his time in office. Speaking at a press event Monday, DeSantis said the appointment of Diaz to lead UWF is similar to the pick of another former education commissioner to lead New College of Florida, a move meant to overhaul the liberal arts school known for its progressive independent streak and turn it into a more conservative classical institution. 'I think there's a lot of potential there,' DeSantis said of UWF. DeSantis' recent decision to appoint new, more conservative members to the school's board has sparked controversy. Supporters of the push to advance lawmakers above traditional academic leaders say it will grant the schools the political capital to secure critical state funding and navigate a rapidly shifting legal landscape. Critics see it as another sign that alignment with the governor's conservative education agenda has become a prerequisite for leading the state's public universities. Last month, the state university system board rejected a longtime academic as the next president of the University of Florida, amid sharp criticism from political conservatives about the candidate's past support for diversity, equity and inclusion programs. UF, considered one of the top public research universities in the country, is still looking for a permanent president. Leading a Florida university generally comes with a multiyear contract for a salary of at least six-figures and a plush on-campus residence. The process for picking these leaders happens largely behind closed doors, creating what the state's Republican House speaker has called 'a spoil system for a select few.' ___ Kate Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
