Florida Senate Minority Leader Jason Pizzo has stepped down, declaring the state’s Democratic Party “dead” and hinting at a possible Independent gubernatorial run.
Pizzo criticized the party for losing its identity and said internal pressures pushed him out.
He claimed Democrats no longer represent Florida’s 3.7 million unaffiliated voters and accused them of alienating the public. Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried welcomed his resignation, calling him ineffective and unpopular.
Pizzo’s brief leadership tenure saw backlash for supporting Israel after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and endorsing E-Verify expansion. He rejected accusations of racism and refused to join the GOP, noting it has its own issues.
As Florida trends Republican under Gov. DeSantis, with a growing GOP registration advantage, Democrats face a tough political future in the state.
