Florida Democrats were left reeling last month when State Senator Jason Pizzo abandoned their ranks.
Now he’s dealt them another devastating blow.
And a State Senator shocked Florida Democrats when he made this one jaw-dropping announcement.
Former Democrat makes bombshell announcement about 2026 governor’s race
Florida State Senator Jason Pizzo confirmed what many suspected when he recently announced his intention to run for governor in 2026 as an independent candidate.
“Yes I am,” Pizzo told CBS News Miami’s Jim Defede when asked directly if he planned to run for governor.
The revelation comes just weeks after Pizzo made headlines by switching his registration from Democrat to No Party Affiliation (NPA), declaring at the time that the “Democratic Party in Florida is dead.”
In a written statement to Fox News Digital, Pizzo explained his rationale.
“Florida is ready for someone to put people before party, and get… back to basics in public service,” he wrote. “The state is facing significant fiscal and resiliency challenges, and I’m [the] best one to guide us through.”
Pizzo, a former prosecutor whose family built a multimillion-dollar housing business in the Northeast, isn’t coming to this fight unprepared.
He told CBS News Miami he’s ready to invest $25 million of his own money into the campaign and expects to raise another $30 million from friends and family.
Democrat leaders furious over Pizzo’s defection
The Democrat establishment in Florida reacted with fury to Pizzo’s party switch and gubernatorial ambitions.
Florida Democrat Party chair Nikki Fried didn’t mince words.
She said that “Jason’s failure to build support within our party for a gubernatorial run has led to this final embarrassing temper tantrum. 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.”
Former Democrat National Committee Chair and Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz piled on by labeling Pizzo a “quitter” and declaring, “What real Democrats refuse to do — ever— is quit. We put families first, not higher office ambitions. We do the hard work, not cower from it.”
The harsh reaction underscores the Democrats’ fear that Pizzo could split the anti-Republican vote and ensure another GOP victory in 2026.
Pizzo fires back at “spoiler” accusations
When confronted with accusations that his independent run would serve as a spoiler that guarantees Republican victory, Pizzo rejected the notion outright.
“If they think that I’m a spoiler, then they’re concerned about the merit of their own message,” Pizzo told CBS News Miami. “The reality is that there are a lot of really, really excited people and groups about my position, about what I said and where I am.”
Pizzo pointed to his electoral success by noting that “I unseated a sitting state senator in my first race… and I just went to a general [election] this past November where Trump won by three points, and I won by 16.”
He emphasized the importance of independent voters by adding that “people need to really understand, NPA’s decide who wins elections in this state. There’s 3.7 million of them.”
2026 gubernatorial race already heating up
Current Republican Governor Ron DeSantis is term-limited and cannot seek reelection in 2026, setting the stage for a wide-open race.
U.S. Representative Byron Donalds, a Republican from Florida, has already announced his candidacy with a ringing endorsement from President Donald Trump.
“Byron Donalds would be a truly Great and Powerful Governor for Florida and, should he decide to run, will have my Complete and Total Endorsement. RUN, BYRON, RUN!” Trump declared in a February Truth Social post.
Meanwhile, First Lady Casey DeSantis is reportedly considering entering the race, setting up what could be a heated Republican primary.
Adding another twist to this political saga, former Republican Congressman David Jolly switched from NPA to Democrat on the same day Pizzo abandoned the Democrat Party, and is reportedly considering his own gubernatorial run.
Florida hasn’t elected a governor without an R or D next to their name since 1848, when Thomas Brown of the Whig Party won the office.
Pizzo will attempt to break that 178-year streak by convincing voters he represents a much-needed alternative to the two-party system.
