Florida state senator who quit Democratic Party slams it as 'rudderless' and 'without direction'

A Florida state senator who quit the Democratic Party last week said he believes he was pumping money and legitimacy into a party that’s not addressing the needs of working Floridians.

Jason Pizzo announced on the floor of the state Senate in Tallahassee that he was changing his party affiliation to no party affiliation. "Our constituents are craving practical leaders, not political hacks," he said.

Pizzo, a former homicide prosecutor in Miami-Dade County, told Fox News anchor Trace Gallagher Monday on "The Story" that Florida Democrats were bending over backwards to be critical of law enforcement and finding excuses to seek amnesty for people who commit crimes. 

"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," he explained.

Data from the Florida Department of State during presidential election years show Republicans making significant gains among registered voters. 

In 2012, there were roughly 558,000 more registered Democratic voters than registered Republican voters in Florida. In 2024, there were roughly 1.2 million more registered Republican voters than Democrats in Florida.

Pizzo said the shift shows the Republican Party is clearly resonating with voters while Democrats are not. 

"They're not recruiting or retaining anybody," he told Gallagher. "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."

State Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried said Pizzo was one of the most "ineffective and unpopular" Democratic leaders in recent memory. 

"His resignation is one of the best things to happen to the party in years," she said in a statement. "His legacy as a leader includes continually disparaging the party base, starting fights with other members, and chasing his own personal ambitions at the expense of Democratic values."

Pizzo declined to respond to Fried’s statement, saying he doesn’t "punch down."

Senate Democrats elected State Sen. Lori Berman to replace Pizzo as the Florida Senate Democratic leader.