Jason Pizzo begins campaign for SD 38

Jason Pizzo breaks $100K on hand.

North Miami Beach attorney Jason Pizzo, technically a candidate for Senate District 38 since late 2016, announced Wednesday he is formally launching his campaign for the seat.

SD 38, in Miami, is held by state Sen. Daphne Campbell, a fellow Democrat who beat Pizzo in the 2016 primary. Pizzo finished second in a field of five Democrats. Campbell won the general election over an independent candidate, without a Republican in the race.

Pizzo filed for a rematch a few weeks after the 2016 general election, but as a placeholder for the paperwork, as he assessed the prospect. He has not done any campaign activity or raised any money since.

That changed on Wednesday, as his campaign announced he was officially launching his campaign to challenge Campbell, a former state representative from the area.

Campbell’s re-election campaign most recently reported raising about $65,000, and had about half of that left in the bank at the start of the year. No other candidates have filed for the contest.

A news release said Pizzo is focused on restoring strong ethical leadership.

“As you know, District 38 is a large and wonderfully diverse community, comprised of 15 municipalities, with so many critical issues which bring us together,” Pizzo said in the release. “We want safer streets, more efficient transportation, vibrant neighborhoods, and for working people to stop struggling to make ends meet. We want true equality and protection for both our people, and our precious environment.”