Jason Pizzo

Jason William Barnet Pizzo (born May 20, 1976) is a Florida State Senator representing parts of coastal Broward and Miami-Dade Counties and an independent candidate for Governor of Florida in 2026. Born in Somerville, New Jersey, he earned his B.A. from New York University in 1999, an M.S. from Columbia University in 2007, and his J.D. from the University of Miami in 2010. While in law school he served as an Assistant State Attorney for the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office. He comes from a family with a multimillion-dollar homebuilding business in the Northeast and has a reported net worth of approximately $59 million. He was first elected to the Florida Senate in 2018 and re-elected in 2022 without opposition. He served as Senate Democratic Leader before resigning that role on April 24, 2025 — the same day he declared the Democratic Party in Florida "dead" and switched his registration to No Party Affiliation. He announced his candidacy for Governor on May 9, 2025 as an NPA candidate. He has pledged to invest $25 million of his own money into his campaign and raise an additional $30 million. He is the only current sitting state legislator running for Governor in 2026. Notably, in January 2025 Pizzo publicly stated he would not run as an independent — a position he reversed three months later when he left the Democratic Party.

Florida State Senators represent districts of approximately 500,000 residents. Senators serve four-year terms and are responsible for proposing and voting on legislation, reviewing the state budget, confirming gubernatorial appointments, and representing their constituents in Tallahassee. District 37 covers parts of coastal Broward and Miami-Dade Counties including Aventura, Sunny Isles Beach, and surrounding areas. As a candidate for Governor, Pizzo would serve as chief executive of Florida state government if elected.