Florida Senate Dem leader ditches party: 'The Democratic Party in Florida is dead'

Florida Senate Minority Leader Jason Pizzo announced on Thursday that he is leaving the Democratic Party, saying the state party “is dead.” 

“There will be a caucus meeting later this afternoon where I hope that the members of the Democratic caucus will elect a new leader,” Pizzo said, speaking from the floor of the state Senate in Tallahassee. 

“For today, I FedExed my voter registration form to change my party affiliation to no party affiliation,” he continued. 

The senior Senate Democrat went on to lambast the state Democratic Party. 

“The Democratic Party in Florida is dead,” Pizzo said. “But there are good people that can resuscitate it, but they don’t want it to be me.”

"The party that my dad volunteered for with JFK, when he was 18 years old in 1960, is not the party today,” he said. 

Pizzo has been floated as a potential gubernatorial candidate ahead of next year’s midterms. His announcement comes hours after former Rep. David Jolly, who was a Republican until 2018, announced he was running for governor as a Democrat. 

Additionally, Pizzo is the third state lawmaker to exit the Democratic Party in recent months. In December state Reps. Susan Valdes and Hillary Cassel switched their affiliations from Democratic to Republican. 

In a statement responding to his resignation, Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried called Pizzo “one of the most ineffective and unpopular Democratic leaders in recent memory.” 

“His legacy as leader includes continually disparaging the party base, starting fights with other members, and chasing his own personal ambitions at the expense of Democratic values," Fried said. “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. The Florida Democratic Party is more united without him."

Florida state Sen. Shevrin Jones (D) to The Hill the Democratic caucus was surprised at Pizzo’s announcement on the floor Thursday.  

“The Democratic Party in Florida is far from dead,” Jones said. “The Democrats are not dealing with a values issue, we’re dealing with an engagement issue.”

Updated: 6:14 p.m. ET