Anne Geggis
The 2022 election results show the youngest group of voters elected to skip the polls, so Sen. Jason Pizzo is going to them to explain why they need to grab that lever.
Florida State University (FSU) will be the Senate Democratic Leader-designate’s first stop on his planned “Campus Conversations” College and University Tour starting Tuesday with a 6 p.m. town hall open to students and faculty. And then he’ll be at Florida A&M University at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday for the same.
Later in the week, he’ll be mingling at the Tallahassee eatery, DP Dough, 444 W College Ave., and then at the FSU v. Duke University football game, scheduled for 7:30 p.m., Saturday.
Ten more stops at institutions of higher learning are planned, spanning the state. The Sunny Isles Senator will be going as far south as the University of Miami in Coral Gables, at various dates stretching to Nov. 28.
“Jason recognizes the value, the need, and the urgency, to engage and collaborate with our emerging generation of leaders,” says a new release from the Senate Democratic Caucus, highlighting his youth-geared efforts that range from championing legislation to fathering 17-year-old twin sons.
He’s also likely seen the statistics that show those aged 18 to 29 account for a far larger proportion of nonvoters than their numbers would suggest. The Pew Research Center in July published a report that showed that although this age group accounts for 10% of the voting-age population, they make up 27% of those who didn’t vote.
When they do get to the polls, however, they tend to vote Democratic, research shows.
The Edison Research National Election Pool exit poll found that, in 2022, voters aged 18 to 29, preferred the Democratic congressional candidate to the Republican one, 63%-35%, according to National Public Radio.
Issues like abortion and climate change tend to get younger voters to lean Democratic, as they are more diverse, less religious and more likely to identify as LGBTQ, according to the Public Religion Research Institute.
In Florida, the results of the current Republican supermajority in the Legislature is about to become more apparent to these young voters.
The last Session saw Republicans pushing through legislation that, for state-run colleges and universities, abolishes traditional tenure for professors and strips colleges and universities of funding that promotes diversity, equity and inclusion.
After Tallahassee, Pizzo will be in Tampa, at the University of South Florida, on Oct. 23. He’ll visit the University of Central Florida in Orlando and Rollins College in Winter Park on Oct. 26. He’ll be at the state’s flagship, the University of Florida in Gainesville, on Nov. 3, as well as at Santa Fe College.
13 comments
My Take
October 16, 2023 at 8:33 pm
New young voters are needed to thicken the thinning line between Amèrican freedom and fascism.
Penny
October 16, 2023 at 11:18 pm
Yawn. Pizzo will do anything to avoid being home with his wife and kids. It’s sad.
Jack D
October 17, 2023 at 1:24 pm
Senator Pizzo has a wife? I wonder if anyone has told Senator Book the news lol
Larry I.
October 17, 2023 at 12:05 am
What a putz. Majority of college students in Florida don’t vote in our elections because they live out of state. Like 70% of college students still claim out of state or foreign addresses as their home for voter registration. Pizzo sounds too green to be going anywhere beyond a keg stand.
Danny
October 17, 2023 at 7:30 am
Just because they aren’t currently registered to vote in Florida doesn’t mean they won’t be involved after graduation. Nobody takes Senator Pizzo seriously anyway. The guy is too self absorbed, mentally frenetic and undisciplined to gain statewide popularity. Anyone who has ever disagreed with him knows it.
Beryl
October 17, 2023 at 4:21 pm
Biggest ego I’ve ever seen in politics
Not Impressed
October 17, 2023 at 5:03 pm
He def seems like a stereotypical narcissist. He’s got a major superiority complex and that grating touch of “cool guy” sarcasm that makes others wish they’d just skipped the meeting with him.
Abby S
October 17, 2023 at 9:15 am
This is definitely the right move for someone training to be a Lieutenant Governor
Lou
October 17, 2023 at 10:12 pm
Im surprised he’s making time to hear someone besides himself do the talking. Had a quick ten minute with him once. Wasn’t quick enough.
Anonymous
October 18, 2023 at 7:53 am
Nothing about Pizzo represents everyday Floridians. That’s prob why he has to try so hard to connect with students in state schools. He has no idea what it’s like to be one of us.
no thanks
October 18, 2023 at 12:04 pm
His bio says he isn’t even from Florida. He’s basically just some New Jersey grease who lives in an ivory tower condo and didn’t even grow up here. He’s not a Floridian or average person but thinks he’s better than the rest of us. No thanks.
Jeff
October 18, 2023 at 12:29 pm
He also constantly reminds people how rich he is all the time. He’s obnoxious.
Jay
October 18, 2023 at 11:24 pm
Literally none of these comments mention a solid reason not to engage young people in the political process. Give this guy a break for trying.
Comments are closed.