The Conservative Case for Blaise Ingoglia

Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia is the Republican nominee for Chief Financial Officer of Florida, and he is endorsed by the Polk County Republican Executive Committee. Every Polk County voter will see this race on the ballot in the general election on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Blaise Ingoglia was sworn in as CFO on July 21, 2025, after Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed him, and he won the August 18 Republican primary with 61.32 percent of the vote.

Quick facts: CFO Blaise Ingoglia

• Office sought: Chief Financial Officer of Florida, who also serves as State Fire Marshal and sits on the Florida Cabinet
• Party: Republican
• Hometown: Spring Hill, Florida, where he moved from New York in 1996
• Career: Mortgage broker; founder of Hartland Homes; creator of the Government Gone Wild video series
• Offices held: Florida House, 2014 to 2022; Florida Senate, District 11, 2022 to 2025; Chairman, Republican Party of Florida, 2015 to 2019; CFO since July 2025
• Endorsements: Gov. Ron DeSantis, Sheriff Grady Judd, 62 Florida sheriffs, the Florida Professional Firefighters, the Florida FOP and the Florida PBA, the Republican Party of Florida and the Polk County Republican Executive Committee

Who is Blaise Ingoglia?

Blaise Ingoglia moved to Spring Hill in 1996 with just $1,600 to his name. He became a mortgage broker and later founded Hartland Homes, a homebuilder focused on helping working families own a home.

In 2007 he noticed local governments "going wild" spending property tax dollars, so he launched Government Gone Wild, a video series and seminar campaign exposing government waste that has drawn nearly 8 million views. He went on to serve eight years in the Florida House, nearly three years in the Florida Senate and four years as Chairman of the Republican Party of Florida. He lives in Spring Hill with his wife, Julie.

In the Senate he sponsored Florida's 2023 immigration crackdown. SB 1718 (Chapter 2023-40) bars cities and counties from funding ID cards for people who cannot prove lawful presence, refuses to recognize out-of-state driver licenses issued only to illegal immigrants, requires hospitals to collect immigration status data on admission forms and lets the state claw back economic incentives from employers who knowingly hire illegal workers. It passed the Senate 27 to 10 and the House 83 to 36 in 2023.

What has Blaise Ingoglia done as CFO?

He started on day one. The day after he was sworn in, Ingoglia and Gov. DeSantis announced on-site Florida DOGE audits of local governments that had raised spending and property tax collections. When some governments resisted, he put them on notice: "The CFO has subpoena power to gain access to these files. I am not afraid to use that power."

By that fall he said the audits had exposed "nearly $1 billion in wasted taxpayer dollars across just FIVE local governments". "Local governments are crying poor but continue to spend wastefully on things like 'counting trees,'" Ingoglia said. "The taxpayers are tired of it, which is why property tax relief is their top concern."

His campaign reports that, in his first year, his office has:

• arrested more than 1,300 people for stealing taxpayer dollars and defrauding Floridians, including 14 former state employees
• returned a record $847 million in unclaimed property to Floridians
• levied $2.4 million in fines against insurance companies that broke their promises to policyholders
• championed HB 1329, which requires every county and city to publish its budget earlier, post employee salaries and identify 10 percent in cuts that do not touch critical services. It became law as Chapter 2026-161 and takes effect January 1, 2027, so Polk County taxpayers will see those budget reduction exercises posted online

What has Blaise Ingoglia done for Polk County?

In September 2025, Ingoglia stood with Sheriff Grady Judd and Attorney General James Uthmeier in Polk County to announce a seven-day human trafficking sting. His office committed "hundreds of manpower hours" to the operation and he vowed to help law enforcement statewide run similar stings. "Protect your kids," Ingoglia said. "Because you have no idea of the depravity waiting to take advantage of your children and turn their lives upside down."

As State Fire Marshal, he came to Lakeland in November 2025 to deliver about $200,000 in state grants to three fire departments to prevent and treat cancer in firefighters exposed to carcinogens. The Lakeland Professional Firefighters Association endorsed him soon after. "CFO Blaise Ingoglia has demonstrated a strong commitment to fiscal accountability while ensuring that first responders have the resources necessary to serve our communities effectively," said association president Shannon Turbeville.

His campaign also reports that his investigators identified a suspected bomb during a traffic stop in Polk County.

What does Blaise Ingoglia stand for?

In his own words, from his campaign:

• Lower property taxes: "Local governments don't have a revenue problem. They have a spending problem. And you're the one paying for it through your property tax bill."
• Insurance: "Blaise protects Floridians, not big insurance company profits."
• First responders: As State Fire Marshal, his campaign says, he has funded more than 100 fire departments and sponsored the law guaranteeing cancer coverage for firefighters.

Who endorsed Blaise Ingoglia?

Gov. Ron DeSantis backs him: "Blaise Ingoglia has delivered for Florida taxpayers. He has cracked down on wasteful government spending, fought to lower insurance rates for Florida families, and backed our law enforcement every step of the way." Polk Sheriff Grady Judd and 62 Florida sheriffs endorse him, along with the Florida Professional Firefighters, the Florida Fraternal Order of Police, the Florida Police Benevolent Association, Associated Industries of Florida, three former CFOs and Polk's own Rep. Jon Albert. He is endorsed by the Polk County Republican Executive Committee and the Republican Party of Florida.

Why should Polk County vote for Blaise Ingoglia?

• He fights for lower property taxes. Every audit he runs is aimed at the waste that drives up your tax bill.
• He backs the badge. His investigators work alongside Sheriff Judd, and Judd and 61 other sheriffs back him.
• He backs Polk firefighters. He brought cancer-prevention grants to Lakeland fire departments, and Lakeland's firefighters endorsed him.
• He goes after fraud. His office arrests people who steal from taxpayers and fines insurers that cheat policyholders.
• He continues the DeSantis record. Gov. DeSantis chose him to bring DOGE accountability to local government.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Florida's Chief Financial Officer? Blaise Ingoglia, appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis and sworn in on July 21, 2025.

What does the CFO do? The CFO keeps the state's books, pays its bills, oversees insurance regulation, serves as State Fire Marshal and sits on the Florida Cabinet.

When is the election? Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Early voting in Polk County runs October 19 through October 31.

Is Blaise Ingoglia a conservative? Yes. He built Government Gone Wild to fight wasteful spending, sponsored Florida's 2023 immigration crackdown (SB 1718) and led the Republican Party of Florida. Gov. DeSantis appointed him and endorses him.

What has Blaise Ingoglia done for Polk County? He joined Sheriff Judd and Attorney General Uthmeier on the 2025 Polk human trafficking sting, delivered firefighter cancer grants in Lakeland and championed the budget transparency law that will apply to Polk's county and city budgets.

Who endorsed Blaise Ingoglia? Gov. Ron DeSantis, Polk Sheriff Grady Judd, 62 Florida sheriffs, the Florida Professional Firefighters, the Lakeland Professional Firefighters Association, the Florida FOP, the Florida PBA, the Republican Party of Florida and the Polk County Republican Executive Committee.

What is Florida DOGE? Florida's Department of Government Efficiency effort, which reviews local government spending to find waste.

How to vote in Polk County

Early voting runs from Monday, October 19 through Saturday, October 31, from 9 AM to 6 PM at any of Polk County's 10 early voting sites. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026, and polls are open from 7 AM to 7 PM. For locations and vote-by-mail details, see the Polk County GOP Voter Guide.

Vote Blaise Ingoglia for Chief Financial Officer.

Want to help? Volunteer today at polk.gop/volunteer.

Sources

• DeSantis says Broward is dodging his DOGE efforts. Now he is sending auditors, Miami Herald (July 22, 2025)
• Meet the CFO, Florida Department of Financial Services
• Blaise Ingoglia, Annette Taddeo poised for general election showdown in CFO race, Florida Politics (August 18, 2026)
• Governor DeSantis holds news conference in Fort Lauderdale, FOX 13 (July 22, 2025)
• CFO Blaise Ingoglia demands local governments comply with DOGE review, Florida Department of Financial Services (August 4, 2025)
• Governor Ron DeSantis and CFO Blaise Ingoglia highlight excessive local government spending, Executive Office of the Governor
• Uthmeier, Judd announce human trafficking arrests in Polk County, Florida Politics
• Issues, Blaise Ingoglia for CFO campaign site
• Endorsements, Blaise Ingoglia for Chief Financial Officer campaign site
• 'Strong commitment': Lakeland firefighters back Blaise Ingoglia for CFO, Florida Politics
• Senate Bill 1718 (2023), The Florida Senate
• House Bill 1329 (2026), The Florida Senate

Paid political advertisement paid for by the Polk County Republican Executive Committee, 6039 Cypress Gardens Blvd; Box 108, Winter Haven, FL 33884. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.