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Florida Dem leader who bolted party explains his decision

April 29, 2025 | | Print Article

Having bailed on the Democratic Party, Florida’s former Senate minority leader addressed his decision and the left’s “rudderless” approach that remained “simply not workable for working Floridians.”

(Video Credit: Fox News)

Late last week, Florida state Sen. Jason Pizzo followed the course of many disenfranchised Democrats and abandoned the party and became an Independent. Having also stepped down from his role as Senate minority leader, Monday, the lawmaker explained to Fox News host Trace Gallagher, elaborating on the disconnect that has resulted in Democrats “not recruiting or retaining anybody.”

Appearing on “The Story,” Pizzo spoke specifically to the left’s efforts against law enforcement and toward amnesty as he told Gallagher, “We’ve had bills recently, people squatting in people’s homes or hotels, transient occupancy in hotels and the Democrats just, you know, keep showing up saying have mercy, have mercy. But to some extent, enough is enough. And that’s where we are.”

The host proceeded to present the senator with voter registration data that compared the last four presidential election years. Over the 12-year period, the Democratic Party went from having an over 558,000 advantage over registered Republicans in 2012, to merely around 97,000 in 2020, only to have the GOP gain a lead by over 1,156,000 registrations in 2024.

“So, clearly the Republican Party in Florida is resonating, sir,” the host asserted.

“The Republican Party is resonating, but the Democratic Party certainly is not,” replied Pizzo. “So, they’re not recruiting or retaining anybody. Your graph shows 2012, but the Democrats haven’t had the gubernatorial mansion here since 1994, so it’s been a little over 30 years. The performance is not there, and they were rudderless and without direction.”

In addition to failing to engender the kind of enthusiasm that Republicans had under Gov. Ron DeSantis, it is also true that the Sunshine State executive took steps to limit illicit behavior with voter registration. On top of increased restrictions and potential penalties for third-party groups that engaged in fraudulent behavior regarding voter registration, a law was enacted making it illegal for convicted felons to register voters until they’d repaid their debt to society and their victims.

Noting his high-ranking position compared to two other Florida lawmakers who left the Democratic Party, Pizzo specifically lamented, “I was artificially, I think, pumping dollars and legitimacy into an apparatus that’s just simply not workable for working Floridians.”

Responding to the now-former minority leader’s decision, Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried slammed him as “one of the most ineffective and unpopular Democratic leaders in recent memory, and his resignation is one of the best things to happen to the party in years.”

“His legacy as a leader includes continually disparaging the party base, starting fights with other members, and chasing down personal ambitions at the expense of Democratic values,” she went on.

Firing back, Pizzo asked on “The Story,” “Do I get my money back?” before he reiterated a post he’d made on X that read, “I won’t punch down. Wishing everyone well.”

Kevin Haggerty
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