TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis has appointed state Sen. Blaise Ingoglia as Florida’s new Chief Financial Officer, filling a key cabinet post left vacant since former CFO Jimmy Patronis stepped down earlier this year to pursue a congressional seat.
Ingoglia, a Spring Hill homebuilder and Republican lawmaker, said he plans to serve as an active fiscal watchdog for the state, pledging to focus on tax relief and oversight of insurance companies.
“I’m going to be a proactive, fiscal watchdog for the state of Florida,” Ingoglia said. “The reforms we passed a couple of years ago are beginning to bend the cost curve down when it comes to insurance rates.”
In addition to tackling insurance issues, Ingoglia said he will scrutinize local government finances. “We are going to start digging in and calling out some of this wasteful spending,” he said, signaling a closer look at city and county budgets.
Ingoglia was elected to the Florida Senate in 2022, representing District 11, which includes Citrus, Hernando, Sumter, and part of Pasco counties. He previously served in the Florida House from 2014 to 2022.
He is also known for sponsoring Senate Bill 1718 in 2023, a sweeping immigration measure that included provisions to void out-of-state driver’s licenses issued to undocumented immigrants, require hospitals receiving Medicaid funds to collect patient immigration status, and mandate E-Verify for employers. The bill also made it a felony to transport undocumented immigrants into Florida. Gov. DeSantis signed the legislation into law in May 2023.
DeSantis’ choice of Ingoglia defies the wishes of former President Donald Trump, who has endorsed fellow Republican state Sen. Joe Gruters for the CFO post in the 2026 election. When asked about the potential conflict, DeSantis downplayed it.
“He’s never once mentioned this to me, so I don’t know how high it is on his radar,” the governor said of Trump.
With the CFO role now filled, DeSantis still has one more major vacancy to address: the lieutenant governor’s office. Former Lt. Gov. Jeanette Núñez left her position earlier this year to become president of Florida International University. State Sen. Jay Collins has been mentioned as a possible replacement.
