Annette Taddeo drops out of FDP Chair race, endorses Allison Tant.

Yesterday afternoon, Miami-Dade State Committeewoman Annette Taddeo dropped out of the race for Florida Democratic Party Chair, leaving it a two-way race between Tallahassee insider and lobbyist Allison Tant and grassroots supporter Alan Clendenin.

In hindsight, it is not really a surprise that Mrs. Taddeo supported Mrs. Tant in the end. Taddeo did not have any plan whatsoever to help rebuild the Florida Democratic Party, mostly relying on her few television appearances and her speaking ability. Our last three chairs can claim the same skills, but not many others. Mrs. Taddeo was not a strong candidate from the start and seemed to only want to use the Florida Democratic Party Chair position for her own stepping stone to a political career.

Still, those that supported Mrs. Taddeo did so with good intentions. Many that I have spoken to said that if Taddeo was elected, she would help the Hispanic community grow within the FDP. As someone that has had big concerns about the lack of Hispanics in the Florida Democratic Party, I strongly agree. I just don’t see Mrs. Tant, or anyone from north of Ocala, being able to include Hispanics into the Florida Democratic Party at the rate in which they represent the current Democratic demographic.

Much like Mrs. Taddeo, Allison Tant has presented no plan on how to fix the Florida Democratic Party. Instead, it seems that her campaign strategy is based purely on blind faith and that we should just “trust her”. Those that run for the position of Florida Democratic Party Chair with no plan whatsoever should be closely watched. In addition, we should ask the question “why is Mrs. Tant running for the FDP chair?” If she doesn’t have a plan, does she really have the interest of the party in mind? Again, one must ask if there is really another motive for Mrs. Tant’s candidacy. Because, as of right now, helping rebuild the Florida Democratic Party does not seem to be one of them.

In a statement yesterday, Mrs. Taddeo said that “it is clear that she would make a phenomenal Florida Democratic Party chair and unite our party because of her passion for Democratic values that we all share” according to the Tampa Times. She also stated the following:

“I am overwhelmed by the support I have received from around the state, but at this point in time I need to focus on Miami-Dade County. I have total faith and confidence in Allison as chair of the Florida Democratic Party and fully endorse her in this effort. We share a common goal, which is bigger than any one individual, to elect Democrats up and down the ballot.  Together, we will build on the victories of 2012 and keep the party moving forward.”

In response, Mrs. Tant said the following, according to the Tampa Times:

“Annette Taddeo is the type of leader that we need right now at the highest levels of the Florida Democratic Party.  She and I will work as partners to continue the fight throughout the state. Annette’s experience with the Obama campaign will be vital to continuing our growth in Hispanic and minority communities. I look forward to working with Annette as part of our leadership team to move the state forward and keep the momentum going.”