Florida State Senate Minority Leader Jason Pizzo has announced his departure from the Democratic Party, registering as No Party Affiliation (NPA). This marks the third Florida Democrat to leave the party in recent months.
Senator Pizzo delivered a scathing critique of the current state of the Democratic Party.
“The Democratic Party of Florida is dead,” he declared. “The party my dad volunteered for with JFK when he was 18 years old in 1960 is not the party of today. It craves and screams anarchy and then demands amnesty. That is not okay.”
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The senator’s comments paint a picture of a party he believes has strayed from its core values, embracing what he perceives as radical and destabilizing ideologies.
Evan Power, Chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, seized upon Pizzo’s departure as evidence of the Democratic Party’s internal turmoil.
“Senator Pizzo didn’t leave the Democratic Party; the party left him,” Power stated. “Senator Pizzo is the third Florida Democrat to leave the party in the last few months. He could have waited until the end of the legislative session to make this announcement, but it’s clear he could no longer tolerate the direction of the party. This decision underscores the radicalization of today’s Democratic Party under the likes of Nikki Fried, Maxwell Frost, and David Hogg. It stands in stark contrast to the party of JFK or even Senator Bob Graham, who was honored yesterday at the Florida State Capitol.”
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Power’s statement directly attributes the perceived shift in the Democratic Party to prominent figures within its ranks, highlighting a growing divide between moderate and progressive factions.
The departure of Senator Pizzo raises questions about the future of the Democratic Party in Florida and the potential for further defections. It also highlights the growing appeal of the NPA designation, as more politicians seek to distance themselves from traditional party affiliations.
The impact of this shift remains to be seen, but it is clear that Florida’s political landscape is undergoing a significant transformation.
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