Orlando attorney John Morgan won’t say he’s running for governor. But he is starting a new party

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — People person been asking John Morgan to tally for politician and talking astir his imaginable candidacy for truthful long, the Orlando personage lawyer told a section governmental club, “that I became similar a campaigner and that’s wherever each this speech is coming from.”

But the high-profile Florida lawyer, who is known nationally for his billboards and TV ads with his “For the People” slogan and for getting aesculapian marijuana and a $15 minimum wage approved successful Florida, is not running, helium told members of the Capital Tiger Bay Club Wednesday.

Not yet, anyway.

But helium is starting his ain governmental party.

“If determination are definite radical moving and person a accidental of being governor, it whitethorn beryllium excessively overmuch for maine to bear,” Morgan said.

“There are moments erstwhile I deliberation I could bash it, but erstwhile I americium successful my location successful Hawaii with a marijuana cigaret and a solid of rosé…” helium added, letting the thought way off.

Instead, helium said, he’s going to instrumentality a wait-and-see attack earlier deciding if helium wants to participate the fray.

“I’m into equine racing,” said Morgan, who was calved successful Kentucky and spent astir of his puerility determination until his household moved to Winter Park erstwhile helium was 14. “When you spell to the equine races, the horses travel out, they travel down the back, they travel around. And erstwhile they commencement coming down the agelong that’s erstwhile you person a bully thought however that contention is going to finish.”

That mode it’s much of a sprint than a marathon, Morgan told a gaggle of reporters aft an hour-long code peppered with anecdotes and the names of nationalist governmental radical helium knows. “I’d alternatively person a 3 period model than an 18-month window.”

So far, U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, a Republican from Naples, is the lone large campaigner to record to tally for politician successful 2026, erstwhile Gov. Ron DeSantis is required to measurement down due to the fact that of word limits.

Donalds, who has been endorsed by President Donald Trump, could upwind up moving against First Lady Casey DeSantis should she determine to run, arsenic has agelong been rumored.

Former Senate Democratic Leader Jason Pizzo of Miami, who abruptly discontinue the Democratic Party during the past days of the regular legislative session, has besides said helium would tally for politician arsenic an autarkic and committed to walk $25 cardinal of his ain money. In his code announcing helium would permission the party, Pizzo said the Democrats were ‘dead’ successful Florida but besides felt the GOP offered nothing.

Morgan agreed that some parties person failed Floridians, and helium blamed erstwhile Tallahassee Commissioner Andrew Gillum, the unsuccessful Democratic campaigner for politician successful 2018, for “smashing” the authorities apparatus that year. Morgan donated heavy to Gillum’s run and got aggravated erstwhile helium learned that Gillum near astatine slightest $2 cardinal unspent and mislaid by “a smidge” to DeSantis.

He said helium didn’t cognize Pizzo but didn’t deliberation helium had the indispensable sanction designation to win. And besides, helium said, helium couldn’t deliberation of the past clip an autarkic campaigner won a statewide predetermination successful Florida.

“I don’t deliberation there’s a aboriginal for conscionable moving arsenic an independent,” Morgan said. People thin to place with teams, helium said, and determination needs to beryllium a squad for those who are alienated by some Republicans and Democrats.

To that end, Morgan projected starting a 3rd party. But archetypal it needs a name, truthful helium plans to nonstop retired a announcement aft Memorial Day asking radical to travel up with a moniker for the enactment and grant a currency prize to the winner.

Morgan ran a akin contention 4 years agone erstwhile helium asked radical to travel up with a jingle for his instrumentality firm, and got bombarded with submissions. The victor worked astatine a barroom successful Altamonte Springs and got $100,000.

Morgan has the governmental savvy to commencement a statewide party. He’s successfully tally 2 statewide campaigns — investing millions of his ain wealth into ballot initiatives to legalize aesculapian marijuana and rise the minimum wage to $15 an hour.

“There has to beryllium a squad for each of america stuck successful the middle,” Morgan said. “There’s a full clump of us. Maybe much of america than them to the near and the close that are stuck successful the middle. Reminds maine of that song, clowns to the near of me, jokers to the right.”

He’s already spent the wealth connected a advisor to assistance record the paperwork to commencement a caller party, and present needs to enlistee capable candidates to marque it viable, helium said.

“And past I privation to say, ‘Who wants to join?'” Morgan said. “And look, I whitethorn crook astir with a trombone and crook astir and find cipher is marching down maine down Main Street. And that’s OK.”

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