By Anthony Man | [email protected] | South Florida Sun Sentinel

In choosing Lori Berman as their new leader in the midst of a political upheaval, Florida Senate Democrats went with a calm, respected policy-oriented lawmaker — a dramatic change of course from the man she suddenly replaced in the job, Jason Pizzo.

To many in Democratic politics and state government, Berman is a breath of fresh air.

She’s described by colleagues and political insiders as a thoughtful legislator who supports Democratic causes, but works well with, and jointly sponsors legislation with, Republicans. And they said she isn’t a publicity seeker, out to promote herself — unlike predecessor Pizzo, who used his brief tenure as party leader to make a name for himself while positioning himself for a possible gubernatorial candidacy.

The denouement of his five months as Senate Democratic leader came Thursday afternoon. In a move staged for maximum media attention, he startled the Tallahassee world by quitting his leadership position and the Democratic Party, which he declared “dead.”

Within hours, Democratic senators coalesced around Berman, who has represented Palm Beach County in the Senate since a 2018 special election, and before that was a member of the Florida House of Representatives. She was the unanimous choice.

It came about at lightning speed, Berman said Friday in a telephone interview. She said she didn’t know what Pizzo had planned until he announced his departure during a speech on the Senate floor.

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