State Senator-elect Annette Taddeo became the first Latina woman elected to the Florida State Senate on Tuesday in a special election. Defeating Republican  Rep. Jose Felix Diaz in the Miami-area swing area, Taddeo’s win flipped the seat from Republican to Democratically held.  The Colombia-born Democrat, who has never held public office, defeated former state Rep. Jose Felix Diaz, a Republican who stepped down from his House seat to run for the Senate.

Taddeo’s victory in Senate District 40 is certain to bolster the hopes of Democrats, who have been outnumbered by a 24-15 margin in the state Senate, as they combat Republicans in local and statewide races next year.