Politico: “Florida Democrats, still reeling from a brutal electoral defeat in 2024, should be regrouping for next year’s midterms. Instead, the party is imploding — consumed by infighting, power plays and a deepening sense of irrelevance in a state dominated by the GOP.
The latest rupture came in a single day in late April: David Jolly, an anti-Trump former Republican representative, announced that he registered as a Democrat and launched a state political committee to support a possible run for governor. Hours later, state Senate Democratic leader Jason Pizzo — also eyeing the 2026 race — declared the Florida Democratic Party “dead” and said he was becoming an unaffiliated voter.
The back-to-back announcements crystalized the crisis inside the Florida Democratic Party. It’s a party that celebrates 15-point special election losses as progress, struggles to fundraise and can’t agree on how — or even if — it should mount a real comeback in a state once considered a top national battleground.
Interviews with 20 elected officials, strategists and activists reveal months of growing resentment, confusion and declining morale within the party, leading up to recent events. The Democratic players, some of whom were granted anonymity because they feared getting ostracized for speaking out, said they were a party in ruin.”