Breaking ranks with both major parties, Florida State Senator Jason Pizzo has declared his candidacy for governor in 2026 as a no-party-affiliation (NPA) candidate, setting the stage for a rare and potentially disruptive independent run in one of the nation’s most competitive political battlegrounds.

Asked point blank whether he plans to run for Governor, Pizzo answered clearly: “Yes, I am.”

“Stripping myself of a title and party designation allows me to run free and clear, clean and transparent, and help many, many more people,” he said.

After serving for 5 months as the Senate Democratic Leader, Pizzo announced his departure from the Democratic Party on April 24 and declared it “dead.” "Our constituents are craving practical leaders, not political hacks," he said in a speech on the Senate floor. 

His remarks were met with disdain by Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried. 

"Jason's failure to build support within our party for a gubernatorial run has led to this final embarrassing temper tantrum,” Fried said. “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."

Pizzo said he would focus on kitchen table issues. “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,” he said.

He criticized both parties for focusing on ideological battles and said the needs of Floridians, from more housing affordability options to better resiliency planning, aren't being fulfilled by “rhetoric that Republicans want to push.” He added that Democrats are distracted by “every little step or statement that the Republicans make.”

Running statewide in Florida is no small feat — with 10 media markets and a sprawling population, campaigns cost tens of millions of dollars. However, Pizzo, whose net worth was most recently estimated at $59.1 million, is in a strong position to self-fund. 

While he did not rule out taking donations, he did emphasize his commitment to independence from special interests. “It'll be private. I'll raise it myself,” he said on Facing South Florida. 

Pizzo also criticized a system in which donations are expected to influence decisions, saying he makes policy choices based on merit, not money. “I’m going to be on the right position… not based on a donation,” he said. “It sucks that we’re here…but that’s the reality.”

Before holding political office, Pizzo was an Assistant State Attorney in Miami-Dade County. As a prosecutor, he promoted public safety through the SAO's Gun Violence Initiative, focusing on cold case shootings and homicides involving children.

Richard Winger of Ballot Access News reports that Pizzo can qualify for the November 2026 ballot by paying a filing fee. Florida eliminated mandatory ballot access petitions for most candidates, including independents, in 1998 through a voter-approved measure. Before that change, Winger notes, Pizzo would have needed to submit a petition signed by 400,000 registered voters.

Pizzo enters a crowded field of declared and potential candidates. Republican Rep. Byron Donalds is running with Donald Trump's endorsement, and First Lady Casey DeSantis is also considering a run. Former Rep. David Jolly, a Republican turned Democrat, is also considering a bid. In addition, prominent attorney John Morgan is a potential independent contender.

Pizzo believes that Florida’s growing bloc of NPA voters, now more than a quarter of the state’s electorate, could be the key to his victory. He said many of those voters would love to have had an alternative last year. On Sunday, he reiterated that message: “NPAs decide who wins elections in this state…there’s 3.7 million of them.”

Even though Florida voters have not elected a Democrat as governor for 30 years, Pizzo was asked if he would be spoiling the governor's race for Democrats by running. His reply? 

"Two things. One, if they think that I'm a spoiler, then they're concerned about the merit of their own message and the strength of their own message, or policy, or whatever it is. But really, the reality is that there are a lot of really excited people and groups about my position, about what I said, and where I am."

According to election expert Winger, Florida's last governor elected from outside the Democratic or Republican parties was in 1916, when Sidney J. Catts won as the Prohibition Party nominee.