Trial attorney John Morgan made a strong impression in Tallahassee on Wednesday. He joked, used strong language, and gave a straightforward view of politics in America and Florida.
Despite his casual tone, Morgan said he is serious about possibly running for governor.
He believes his experience supporting key constitutional amendments gives him the skills needed for a campaign. These include helping finance medical marijuana amendments in 2016, minimum wage increases in 2020, and marijuana legalization efforts in 2024.
Morgan also noted that he has high name recognition. This is due to his role as founder and public face of the Morgan & Morgan law firm.
He said he is willing to wait and watch how other candidates perform before making a final decision. He compared the race to a sprint rather than a marathon.
“I’d rather have a three-month window than an 18-month window,” he said.
Although Morgan was not definite about running for governor, he confirmed he is actively planning to create a new third political party in Florida. He said a new party is needed because current parties no longer represent many of their members.
Morgan said Republicans are now controlled by Donald Trump supporters rather than traditional “country club Republicans.” He added that Democrats are influenced by progressives and “socialists” like U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders. He argued both parties refuse to compromise.
He said much of the political division comes from anger over income inequality. This anger, he believes, contributed to the January 6 riot by Trump supporters.
“We’re stuck in the middle, and we don’t have a voice, any voice, but yet, we have a lot to say, but we’re paralyzed,” Morgan said. “So my belief is this: I believe that we need a third party.”
Morgan plans to name the party through a contest with a cash prize for the winning entry. He has already hired a lawyer to help prepare the legal paperwork.
Morgan also shared his opinions on current and past Florida politics.
He criticized Governor Ron DeSantis and said the 2023 insurance reforms aimed at lowering property insurance rates were just a “money grab” to help DeSantis’s presidential ambitions.
“And who lost? Every homeowner in Florida. There’s going to be a day of reckoning. There’s going to be a hurricane, and it’s going to be bad,” Morgan warned.
He sarcastically called DeSantis a “hard-working governor,” pointing out he saw the governor at the Kentucky Derby on May 3 and at a Formula 1 event in Miami the next day.
“So, he’s always working for us, constantly working for us and for our benefit,” Morgan said.
Morgan admitted he is a billionaire who spends winters in Maui. He joked that he “smokes a lot of dope out there” because it is relaxing.
Earlier this year, Morgan said he received texts and videos showing DeSantis mentioning his name “everywhere” and talking about his influence with legislators. Morgan joked he asked the legislators: “When the f— are they gonna start doing what I tell them to do?”
He declared the Florida Democratic Party dead and blamed former Tallahassee mayor and 2020 Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum, who lost to DeSantis in 2018 by 34,000 votes.
Morgan also suggested the Florida Legislature should meet every other year instead of annually.
“Because every time they meet they screw us over,” he said. He questioned whether Florida needs a Governor’s Mansion, a lieutenant governor, or an agriculture commissioner.
Morgan predicted that the latest effort to legalize marijuana in Florida will succeed, despite recent constitutional ballot changes approved by the Legislature and signed by DeSantis.
“It’s sickening, because what it means is politicians want to have total control so they can take care of their special interests — cable companies, the fire companies, the sugar people. They don’t want us to have a say, because they know we, the people, are dangerous. We’re dangerous when we get to vote, and they don’t want that,” Morgan said.
