Ingoglia, a former state Senator, party Chair and longtime political figure, launched his re-election bid in September<\/a> and is already campaigning as the sitting officeholder.<\/p>\n Other active Republicans in the race include Sarasota Sen. Joe Gruters, who is also Chair of the Republican National Committee; property adjuster Frank Collige; and repeat state candidate Benjamin Horbowy.<\/p>\n Independent candidate John Daniel Smith<\/a> has also filed for the contest.<\/p>\n Steele would enter the race after receiving encouragement to do so from Donald Trump\u2019s team. He told Florida Politics<\/a> Sept. 5 that his meeting with the President and Vice President JD Vance that week \u201cmade clear that Florida needs a CFO who won\u2019t gamble with our future,\u201d a shot at Ingoglia.<\/p>\n In addition to a hopeful Trump endorsement, Steele would likely run on his legislative record and financial-sector background. Before his election to the House, he worked in commercial insurance and later as a consultant, emphasizing risk-management and compliance \u2014 experience that aligns with the CFO\u2019s oversight of insurance regulation, fraud investigations and the state Treasury.<\/p>\n In the Legislature, Steele represents House District 55, which spans parts of Pasco and Hillsborough counties.<\/p>\n As a lawmaker, he successfully carried measures to tighten restrictions on money service businesses<\/a>, steepen penalties for defrauding vulnerable people<\/a>, make it easier to remove squatters<\/a> from residences and ban weather modification<\/a>, among others.<\/p>\n For the 2026 Legislative Session, he has introduced measures to eliminate non-school and non-police property taxes<\/a> for homesteads, restrict how local governments can charge for parking<\/a> on public property and require state colleges to rename one roadway<\/a> on their campus after late conservative activist Charlie Kirk.<\/p>\n He\u2019s also the current Vice Chair of the House Information Technology Budget and Policy Subcommittee<\/a> and a member of the chamber\u2019s Select Committee on Property Taxes<\/a>.<\/p>\n A January kickoff would give Steele ample runway in what could become one of the more competitive statewide GOP Primaries of 2026. The CFO role, one of Florida\u2019s four independently elected Cabinet positions, has grown in political visibility as the state confronts soaring property insurance rates, expanding fraud investigations and continued financial coordination with Washington.<\/p>\n Ingoglia has also worked to raise the office\u2019s profile in recent months as Florida\u2019s DOGE initiative<\/a> continues to audit counties and cities for overspending, which the CFO\u2019s Office says has uncovered $1.5 billion in waste \u2014 an assertion localities and analysts dispute<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Efficient_Government_728x90.png\")
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