NewsCreative Loafing Tampa BayOctober 26, 2026Hillsborough County
Creative Loafing voting guide 2026: Endorsements for Florida statewide elections
Photo: Creative Loafing Tampa Bay
Creative Loafing published its 2026 election voting guide, endorsing Democratic candidates against incumbent Republicans for Florida governor, attorney general, chief financial officer, and commissioner of agriculture. The editorial board criticizes current state leadership over charter school financial ties, culture-war policies, and state spending decisions.
Read the full story at Creative Loafing Tampa BayWhy It Matters
The editorial outlines choices for Florida's top executive offices in the 2026 election, highlighting candidates' differing stances on public education funding, state lawsuits, and ethics disclosures.
Key Facts
- Creative Loafing published its 2026 election voting guide endorsing David Jolly for governor, Jose Javier Rodriguez for attorney general, Annette Taddeo for chief financial officer, and Joey Mendoza Atkins for commissioner of agriculture.
- A Miami Herald-Tampa Bay Times analysis found that over four years, five state-funded charter schools paid more than $30 million to two private companies run by Erika Donalds, wife of U.S. Congressman and gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds.
- The Florida Bulldog reported that Byron Donalds failed to fully report his wife's stakes in companies providing services to a charter school chain she co-founded.
- The Optima Foundation in Fort Myers, founded by Erika Donalds, enrolled students and hired teachers but failed to open, leaving parents without a school.
- Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier faced a lawsuit regarding the $10 million Hope Florida scandal, which the state Republican Party dropped last week.
- Democratic attorney general candidate Jose Javier Rodriguez previously served as U.S. Assistant Secretary of Labor under President Biden.
- CFO Blaise Ingoglia allegedly omitted over a hundred properties tied to him through his companies from his public financial disclosures.
- Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson participated in votes involving state forest land and college campus property use.
Who's Mentioned
PersonRon DeSantis“Governor of Florida”PersonJoey Mendoza Atkins“Democratic candidate for Commissioner of Agriculture”PersonWilton Simpson“Florida Commissioner of Agriculture”OrganizationCBS News“News media outlet”OrganizationFlorida Bulldog“Investigative news publication”PersonByron Donalds“U.S. Congressman and Republican candidate for governor”OrganizationHillsborough College“College campus referenced in land vote context”PersonJose Javier “J.J.” Rodriguez“Democratic candidate for Florida Attorney General”locationFort Myers“Location of Optima school”OrganizationOptima Foundation“Charter school foundation renamed Education Freedom Foundation”PersonBlaise Ingoglia“Florida Chief Financial Officer”OrganizationEducation Freedom Foundation“Formerly known as Optima Foundation”PersonAnnette Taddeo“Democratic candidate for Chief Financial Officer”PersonDavid Jolly“Democratic candidate for Florida governor”PersonErika Donalds“Founder of Optima Foundation / Education Freedom Foundation and wife of Byron Do”OrganizationMiami Herald-Tampa Bay Times“News publication group”PersonJames Uthmeier“Florida Attorney General”locationTallahassee“Florida state capital”locationHernando“Location context for Blaise Ingoglia”OrganizationTampa Bay Rays“Professional baseball team referenced in campus land vote context”OrganizationLa Gaceta“Newspaper publication”