## Role

Blaise Ingoglia, a Republican state senator from Hernando County, introduced Senate Bill 1248 in February 2023, known as “The Ultimate Cancel Act,” which would have required the Florida Division of Elections to cancel the filings of any political party that “has previously advocated for, or been in support of, slavery or involuntary servitude”—explicitly targeting the Democratic Party. He previously served as Chairman of the Republican Party of Florida (2015-2017) and as a state representative before moving to the Senate.

## Background

Ingoglia’s background as Florida Republican Party Chairman gave him experience in partisan messaging and electoral strategy before entering the Legislature. His authorship of the “Ultimate Cancel Act” reflected his willingness to propose extreme legislation that, while unlikely to pass, generated media attention and partisan conflict. His history in party leadership combined with his legislative role makes him influential in Florida Republican politics.

## Documented Actions

### 1. “Ultimate Cancel Act” to Ban Democratic Party (February 2023)

Evidence: In February 2023, Ingoglia introduced SB 1248, which would require the Florida Division of Elections to cancel the filings of any political party that had previously advocated for or supported slavery or involuntary servitude. While the bill did not explicitly name the Democratic Party, Ingoglia made clear that was his target, citing the party’s pro-slavery positions adopted during conventions in 1840, 1844, 1856, 1860, and 1864—over 160 years before his bill.

If passed, the legislation would have automatically changed the party affiliation of approximately 5 million Democratic voters to “no party affiliation,” effectively shutting them out of Florida’s closed primary elections unless they changed parties. Any canceled party could reregister with a “substantially different” name at least six months before seeking to nominate a candidate.

Ingoglia argued that if leftist activists can “cancel” people and companies for past actions, the Democratic Party should face the same standard. The Florida Democratic Party condemned it as “unconstitutional and unserious,” calling it a “publicity stunt” rather than substantive legislation. The bill failed and died in the Senate Ethics and Elections Committee on May 5, 2023.

Sources: Newsweek, February 2023; WPTV, February 2023; Florida Politics, February 2023; BillTrack50

Pattern: Extreme partisan legislation; weaponization of cancel culture rhetoric; mass disenfranchisement proposal; unconstitutional party banning

### 2. Role in Florida SB 90 Voter Suppression (2021)

Evidence: As a state representative in 2021, Ingoglia played a key role in advancing Florida Senate Bill 90, which imposed numerous voting restrictions including vote-by-mail limitations, ballot drop box restrictions, additional ID requirements, and prohibition of ballot collection. Governor Ron DeSantis signed SB 90 into law on May 6, 2021, with the bill passing along strict party lines.

SB 90 included provisions that:

– Restricted ballot drop boxes and required in-person monitoring during limited hours

– Limited the duration of mail-in ballot requests to a single election cycle (requiring voters to request ballots more frequently)

– Banned collection of multiple completed ballots by individuals

– Required additional identification when changing registration or requesting mail ballots

– Prohibited mass mailing of ballots without individual requests

While the bill was authored by Senator Dennis Baxley, Ingoglia’s involvement in shepherding it through the House demonstrated his commitment to restrictive voting policies. The legislation was characterized by voting rights organizations as voter suppression, particularly targeting methods used by Democratic-leaning constituencies.

Sources: Florida Senate website; PolitiFact, June 2021; WUSF, March 2021

Pattern: Support for comprehensive voter suppression; mail-in voting restrictions; drop box limitations

### 3. Former Florida Republican Party Chairman (2015-2017)

Evidence: Before entering the Legislature, Ingoglia served as Chairman of the Republican Party of Florida from 2015 to 2017. This role gave him oversight of Florida Republican electoral strategy during the 2016 presidential election and positioned him as a key figure in Florida GOP politics. His party chairmanship experience informed his later legislative approach, particularly his focus on partisan advantage and his willingness to propose provocative legislation like the “Ultimate Cancel Act.”

His tenure as party chairman demonstrated his commitment to aggressive partisan politics and his comfort with controversial tactics. The transition from party chair to legislator allowed him to convert partisan strategic thinking into actual legislative proposals, even when those proposals had no realistic chance of passage.

Sources: Media coverage of party chairman tenure; legislative biography

Pattern: Partisan strategic background informing legislative approach; party leadership to legislative power pipeline