One-on-one with Jason Pizzo
Jim interviews State Senator Jason Pizzo, who represents portions of South Florida, in the aftermath and amid the fallout following his sudden departure from the Democratic Party, switching to “no party affiliation.”
The two discuss what was behind his move and if he plans to run for governor as an independent.
Guest: State Sen. Jason Pizzo/NPA-Broward County
About the issue
Two weeks after proclaiming the Democratic Party “dead” in Florida and switching his registration to NPA, State Senator Jason Pizzo declared he was running for governor in 2026 as an independent during an interview with CBS News Miami.
Although it was widely viewed that he made the switch with the intention of running for governor, this was the first time he stated it as a matter of fact.
“Yes, I am,” he said when asked the question.
“We need somebody who can balance a checkbook, who understands finance, not just economic theory; who’s concerned about infrastructure and resiliency and the environment and education and all of these things that are top of mind for people that are just trying to keep a roof over their head, keep their kids clothed and educated,” Pizzo said.
He said the needs of most Floridians are not being met by “the rhetoric that the Republicans want to push” or by the Democrats overreacting “to every little step or statement that the Republicans make.”
“They want people that say, listen, how am I going to pay my taxes? How am I going to pay my mortgage or my rent? When I flush my toilet, will it work? When it rains, is it going to inundate me with flooding? And can I really even afford to live here with property insurance?”
Pizzo, a former prosecutor whose family built a multimillion-dollar housing business in the Northeast, said he is prepared to invest $25 million into his campaign and raise another $30 million from friends and family.
