TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida's leaders are offering two starkly different assessments of the state's troubled insurance market, setting the stage for a political battle heading into 2026.
Republicans say reforms are finally working, with rates stabilizing and, in some cases, dropping. Meanwhile, Democrats argue families are still getting crushed by premiums for homes, condos and cars, fueling what they call the state’s true affordability crisis.
CFO Ingoglia says reforms are paying off
Florida CFO Blaise Ingoglia, a Republican, sat down with Scripps Capitol reporter Forrest Saunders and defended the state’s overhaul of insurance litigation and fraud rules, saying the changes are now producing real results.
"When you look at the reforms that we did three years ago, clearly the reforms are working," Ingoglia said.
He pointed to major auto insurance shifts as proof.
"There is an excessive profit statute on the books, and Progressive had to give back $1 billion worth of extra profits back to the policyholders on auto policies," Ingoglia said. "State Farm reduction 10%, so we're seeing drastic movement in the auto insurance market."
While acknowledging homeowners' rates are still elevated, Ingoglia insisted relief is coming as reinsurance costs fall and more companies return.
"Things are looking up here," he said. "We're just asking for people to continue to be patient on the homeowner's insurance market. It's getting better, but what we can't do is go back to what we used to have, or we would have continued having double-digit rate increases over the past couple of years."
Democrats say families can't wait
Democratic leaders reject that optimism, arguing Floridians are still paying the highest costs in the country.
"Our rates are one of the highest in the entire country, and that is not acceptable," said Senate Minority Leader Lori Berman at an October news conference. "People are struggling to stay in their homes just because of their property insurance alone."
New national data backs up some of those concerns. Realtor.com reports condo prices have fallen more than 8% in a year, driven by soaring HOA fees and post-Surfside insurance increases.
The site lists five Florida markets in the top ten for highest property insurance burdens, including the number one slot in Southeast Florida.
Bankrate ranks Florida as the most expensive auto insurance state in America, averaging more than $4,100 a year.
House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell said Democrats will continue pushing proposals that include rate-hike limits, transparency rules and tax incentives for storm-hardening.
"We want to make sure that we are approaching the affordability crisis in a way that actually helps families and doesn't further hurt them," Driskell said. "So let's look at regulating the property insurance industry."
She also blasted Republican property-tax amendments, calling them a distraction and warning they could threaten police, parks, and libraries.
"[Gov. Ron DeSantis] started all of this, and I don't think that he should have," Driskell said of the governor. "If he really cares about Floridians and cares about the affordability crisis, he should address those things like property insurance. He should address those things like housing affordability, and he has failed to do that."
A defining fight for 2026
With homeowners squeezed, condo owners alarmed, and drivers paying record premiums, the clash over solutions isn’t going away. It makes clear that affordability will remain a top issue in the upcoming legislative session and November elections.
Lawmakers return to Tallahassee to gavel in for their legislative session on Jan. 13.
Matt Sczesny is determined every day to help you find solutions in Florida's coverage collapse. If you have a question or comment on homeowners insurance, you can reach out to him any time.
