Annette Taddeo’s win over GOP superwoman makes her stronger

Now, this is a victory.

Sen. Annette Taddeo showed on Tuesday that she is truly a viable candidate who can win more than just special elections against racist apologists when she solidly defeated a challenge by Republican superwoman Marili Cancio, who was handpicked by the GOP for this specific race and moved from Key Biscayne to a condo in the Dadeland area.

Taddeo won 53 to 47 percent, a six point lead that Ladra is certain would have been double digits if voters had known her campaign was run by the racist himself, former Sen. Frank Artiles, who called some fellow legislators niggers in a loud rant at a bar. Still, it is double what she won her seat with last year and that will resonate going into the future. Yeah, okay, Ladra will concede while the campaign definitely benefited from Cancio’s Trump ties during a blue wave year, Taddeo’s final numbers were also boosted by the Andrew Gillum excitement in his native Richmond Heights and the NPA trend to go blue this year because of Trump and Parkland.

But, let me remind you, it’s a midterm election after all!

On Monday, Taddeo was the unelectable perennial candidate who finally got lucky one time running against former State Rep. Jose Felix “Pepi” Diaz, who did not do enough to distance himself from Artiles and lost despite outspending Taddeo 3 to 1. On Wednesday, Taddeo was an entrenched incumbent until she is termed out.

Because who are they going to throw at her now?

It can’t be Cancio, who should have stayed in Key Biscayne and run for Congress with better chance against Donna Shalala. After all, she did get 47% showing in the Senate district she just moved to in a campaign she started less than six months ago. Nothing to sneeze at.

But if she runs again, Cancio should run in her district — she has to move out of her Dadeland condo anyway; no room for the dogs — where nobody can call her a carpetbagger GOP invader. And she should not scrub her Twitter of her Trump love and extreme right conservative views. That is who she is. She needs to own it.

She also needs to stay away from the lies. The commercials and mailers calling Taddeo an NRA flunkie did not pass muster. Democrats in District 40 are not stupid, Marili. They are not going to buy the argument that she sided with the NRA by voting against the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Student Safety Bill. And that backfired because we felt like you thought we were stupid.

“You can say a lot of things about me but to say I’m with the NRA is really a stretch,” the senator said Wednesday.

Taddeo joined most Democrats when she voted against the legislation only because of the poison pill — put in there by Republican State Rep. Jose Oliva — that puts guns on school campuses. Only 10 joined the Republicans who wrote and ushered the legislation in.

Does Taddeo feel like she still has a target on her back? Like Artiles is gonna run someone else against her two years from now. Bring it on, she said.

“I’ve never been one to start worrying very early,” Taddeo said. “I’m just going to continue doing my job. I think I’ve shown people that I’m a true public servant. I’ve gained fans.”

Cancio would not say no Wednesday to another race. But she also won’t say yes right now. Her life is full enough with her law firm, her volunteer work, her house on the West coast she hasn’t visited in a while, her son’s wedding in January and her grandchild, who is due in three to four weeks. “I feel so blessed,” she said.

Maybe she’ll also get back on the guest panel in Channel 10’s This Week In South Florida, where she used to be the regular GOP mouthpiece before she announced her run. We know she misses that.

Cancio thanked everyone who helped her in a class act statement posted on Facebook Wednesday but which, she said, was written three weeks earlier.

“It really doesn’t matter what the end result is tonight because as some say it is the journey and not the destination. I am a better person after meeting and talking to so many people in our community. I love our community and this race has been the honor of a lifetime.”

Ladra hopes it was also a lesson: Don’t lie. Be yourself. And try again.

Annette Taddeo, Marili Cancio

Annette Taddeo’s win over GOP superwoman makes her stronger added by Ladra on November 7, 2018
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