MIAMI - Sen. Jason Pizzo (D), and potential 2026 gubernatorial candidate, criticized the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles on Friday after posting videos that show people waiting in long lines at one of its locations.
"Time to get back to government basics. Ridiculously long lines like these at our @FLHSMV locations are completely unacceptable," Pizzo said. "The legislature needs to properly fund the agency - we swelled to nearly 800 vacant positions - far too few DL examiners to staff basic services."
Both videos show many people waiting in long lines at the department. It also appears that many waited overnight while others were sitting on the ground.
Pizzo represents Senate District 37 which covers part of Broward and Miami-Dade counties. He was easily elected in SD 37 after defeating Republican candidate Imtiaz Mohammad by over 16 points in November.
Recently, Pizzo was named Senate Democratic Senate Democratic Leader for the 2024-2026 Legislative term. The 48-year-old will succeed Lauren Book, D-Davie, in the position.
Pizzo is a former Miami-Dade prosecutor with a strong party name I.D. Before politics, he received his bachelor's degree from New York University, a graduate degree from Columbia University, and a Law degree from the University of Miami.
Possibly taking a page from his days as a prosecutor, Pizzo has established himself as a sharp, savvy lawmaker during legislative sessions in Tallahassee. He has also shown an ability to work across party lines in the Republican-dominated chamber.
Pizzo also has been floated as a gubernatorial candidate. Current Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is term-limited at the end of 2026.
Florida has not had a Democratic governor since Buddy McKay in 1998-99. Notably, McKay served as lieutenant governor under then-Democratic governor Lawton Chiles before he died in office in 1998.
Florida has elected four Republican governors since McKay was elected. They include Governor Jeb Bush (99-07), Charlie Crist (07-11), and Ron DeSantis (19-present). Crist later switched to the Democratic Party in 2012 after a brief stint as an Independent.
In a recent comment to The Floridan's Javier Manjarres, Pizzo said national Democrats were "completely out of touch" after losing the Presidency, the U.S. Senate, and failing to flip control of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2024 general election.
