State Sen. Jason Pizzo, the Minority Leader in the Florida Senate, just quit the Democrat Party in a fiery floor speech. Pizzo represents coastal Broward County and parts of Miami-Dade in the Florida Senate. He is rumored to be a candidate in next year’s gubernatorial race.

“The Democratic Party in Florida is dead. There are good people who can resuscitate it, but they don’t want it to be me,” Pizzo said.

Pizzo said he changed his party registration to “independent” in a form sent to Broward Supervisor of Elections this morning.