Florida Senate minority leader says Democratic Party is ‘dead,’ switches to independent

In the latest blow to Florida Democrats, the Senate Democratic leader abruptly announced Thursday that he is leaving the party in favor of no-party affiliation.

In a dramatic speech on the floor of the chamber, Sen. Jason Pizzo said he had sent his voter registration change to the Broward Supervisor of Elections and asked the Senate Democratic caucus to choose a new leader.

“Here’s the issue. The Democratic Party in Florida is dead,” Pizzo, of Hollywood, said. “There are good people that can resuscitate it. But they don’t want it to be me. That’s not convenient, that’s not cool.”

Pizzo said the Democratic Party today isn’t the party of his father. He said that the modern party “craves and screams anarchy and then demands amnesty.”

“I think stripping myself of a title of a party designation allows me to run free and clear, clean and transparent and help many, many more,” Pizzo said.

Pizzo, who is term-limited in the Senate, has been mulling a run as a centrist candidate for governor in 2026. Earlier this year, he told reporters that he would not mount a campaign for governor as an independent, according to the Florida Phoenix.

But when asked if he would run for governor as an independent, Pizzo left the possibility open.

“I know the front-runners for the Republican side are cratering and not viable, and Democrats don’t have anyone viable either,” Pizzo said.

Pizzo’s decision comes the same day that former U.S. Rep. David Jolly, who served as a Republican, announced that he had changed his registration to be a Democrat. The news was first reported by Politico. Jolly has said he is “very close” to announcing a run for governor in 2026, and said in a statement that he would be “committed to doing my part as a Florida Democrat.”

On the Republican side, U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds has said he will run for governor, and first lady Casey DeSantis has been a rumored candidate.

John Morgan, who founded a personal injury empire, has also flirted with a run for governor.

Nikki Fried, the chairperson of the Florida Democratic Party, slammed Pizzo in a statement for being “one of the most ineffective and unpopular Democratic leaders in recent memory.”

Fried said that “his resignation is one of the best things to happen to the party in years.”

“Jason’s failure to build support within our party for a gubernatorial run has led to this final embarrassing temper tantrum,” Fried said in her statement. “I’d be lying if I said I’m sad to see him go, but I wish him the best of luck in the political wilderness he’s created for himself. The Florida Democratic Party is more united without him.”

House Democratic leader Fentrice Driskell also criticized Pizzo. In a statement, Driskell said that Pizzo has been “alienating himself from the Democratic Party for a long time now” and has been “completely distracted by his ambition to be governor.”

Evan Power, the chairperson of the Republican Party of Florida, said it’s clear Pizzo could “no longer tolerate the direction of the party,” and said that his decision “underscores the radicalization of today’s Democratic Party.”

In recent months, two members of the Florida House Democrats — Reps. Susan Valdés and Hillary Cassel — switched their party registration to Republican.

With Pizzo quitting the party, the Democratic superminority in both chambers is squeezed even smaller.

Democrats make up 33 seats in the 120-member House. (One seat is vacant.) And in the Senate, with Pizzo out of the party, there are now 10 Democrats out of 40 seats. (Two seats are vacant.)

Pizzo’s decision came as a surprise to his fellow Democrats, who did not know he was making the announcement. The outgoing Senate Democratic leader did give a heads-up to Republican Senate President Ben Albritton before announcing his decision.

Sen. Shevrin Jones, D-Miami Gardens, said he wouldn’t say that the party was “dead,” but agreed that “there is a lot of work to do.”

Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith, D-Orlando, said he thought Pizzo wanted to be “comfortable in his own skin.”

Senate Democrats quickly picked Sen. Lori Berman, D-Boca Raton, as their new leader.

“The Democratic Party in the State of Florida is not dead,” Berman told reporters about two hours after Pizzo made his announcement.

This story was originally published April 24, 2025 at 4:15 PM.