Peter Schorsch
John Morgan — known in Florida (and beyond) as the most recognizable attorney working “for the people” — is considering a run for Governor.
He’s not a Democrat. He’s not a Republican. And speaking during a Capital Tiger Bay luncheon earlier this week, he doesn’t “think there’s a future for just running as an independent.”
Instead, he wants to form a new third party, one that answers the dilemma Morgan described at Tiger Bay as “a lot of us” being stuck in the middle with “clowns to the left” and “jokers to the right,” evoking lyrics from “Stuck in the Middle,” the 1972 Stealers Wheel classic.
But if that’s his plan, Florida’s “Pot Daddy” (Morgan bankrolled and heavily advocated for the state’s medical marijuana law) doesn’t have much time to get the ball rolling.
Under state statute, a candidate must be a member of the political party for which they are running for at least 365 days before the qualifying date. The qualifying deadline for Florida’s 2026 Election cycle, when the Governor’s race will be on the ballot, is June 12, 2026. That means if Morgan is going to run for Governor under a third-party banner, that party must be established, and Morgan registered to it, in less than a month, by June 12.
That’s an incredibly quick timeline to establish a whole new party, especially considering Morgan hasn’t given much indication of what the party would be called or its platform.
Establishing a new political party isn’t necessarily difficult, but it’s not a walk in the park, with plenty of red tape to navigate. For starters, it has to be considered a group, meaning more than one person is needed. Surely, Morgan can easily clear that minimal bar. But he would also have to establish party officers, such as a chair, vice chair, secretary and treasurer.
Morgan’s timeline becomes more generous if he decides to run without party affiliation, but he hasn’t said that’s what he’d do, and it comes with its own set of challenges.
State Sen. Jason Pizzo, a former Democrat who served as the upper chamber’s minority leader until dumping the party, has said he plans to run as an NPA, meaning Morgan wouldn’t be the only person trying to claim the already narrow independent lane.
The two wouldn’t have to face off in a Primary, reserved only for those running under a party banner.
Conventional wisdom holds that it’s hard enough to find victory as an NPA candidate — they lack the institutional support of a major party. There’s no party loyalty to be enjoyed among the electorate. While more and more voters are ditching party affiliation, carving a narrow lane for independent candidates, such candidates are often considered spoilers, syphoning votes from one major party or the other, or perhaps both.
In a scenario where both Pizzo and Morgan ran as an NPA, it’s hard to imagine a victory for either, considering they would likely split the share of unaffiliated voters and those in the moderate realm of politics who are disenchanted with both major parties.
Nevertheless, if the plan is to create a new party, the time is ticking — and ticking fast.
11 comments
Ron Ogden
May 16, 2025 at 10:48 am
Besides the two main parties, Florida has 14 minor parties ranging from the Greens to the Conservatives. If Morgan can’t find one of these that suits him, perhaps his idea of another party is more like a bucket list item than a real attempt to somehow improve the electoral landscape in Florida. With David Jolly now crisscrossing the state as a Democrat, Morgan may find he waited too long to start a campaign for governor.
Tina Love
May 16, 2025 at 10:54 am
Good. I hope he can achieve a new political party. The ones in power now only serve to shovel every penny ever minted to the rich and don’t bring healthcare for all
It’s Complicated
May 16, 2025 at 10:56 am
Beyond the challenges mentioned in the article (re starting a new party), the practical reality is NPA voters are segmented across the full political spectrum and consist of people who generally feel disenfranchised by the Ds or the Rs for a wide variety of reasons. These NPA voters are NOT homogeneous by a long shot.
If you really look at the demographics, data and trends in Florida, the Democrats would probably be better served (from a competing with the GOP standpoint) by purging Leftists, embracing American patriotism afresh, quit the unabashed hatred towards Jews and Christians, and moving back towards the ideological center. If they did that, they’d likely peel voters away from NPAs and the GOP.
Foghorn Leghorn
May 16, 2025 at 11:29 am
Ambulance chasing dirt bags. All of those Morgan goofballs
Bill
May 16, 2025 at 3:06 pm
Couldn’t agree more. I partially blame these fools and their cohorts for the cost of insurance in Florida and I can’t even begin to imagine what he’d do if elected.
R Russell
May 16, 2025 at 12:22 pm
John Morgan is a POS, dirtbag, disbarred Ambulance chaser who will destroy the fabric of our youth and with it our country if Floridians are stupid enough to vote in favor of legalizing recreational Marijuana!
It's Complicated
May 16, 2025 at 2:34 pm
I know he’s had brushes with the law in the past, but be aware that John Bryan Morgan (the guy this article is about) – per the Florida Bar website, is CURRENTLY a member of the Florida Bar and “Eligible to practice law in Florida”.
Bar #399116
Larry Gillis, Director-at-Large, Libertarian Party of Florida
May 16, 2025 at 12:58 pm
JOHN: STEAL OUR IDEAS, WITH OUR BLESSING.
The Libertarian Party of Florida has many solid ideas on the most profound issues of our Day. Our feelings won’t be hurt in the least if anyone — including John Morgan here — embraces any (or all) of them and uses them to get themselves elected. See our Platform at http://www.lpf.org/platform
See y’all at the barricades.
stickers
May 16, 2025 at 1:46 pm
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Gregory
May 17, 2025 at 10:20 am
Well explained, Peter. A real service to so many.
Joseph T Nasuti
May 18, 2025 at 10:02 am
Governor To Be you are the best person for Florida’s Governor!
Hi, I’m Joe Nasuti, Owner of Next Generation MRI LOCATED on the Ground Floor of your West Palm Beach Office at 1700 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd
John I have an idea that can give you a Voting Block of 50,000+ voters and I would be honored to serve on your campaign committee and rally those voters!!!
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