Florida mega-donor John Morgan ditches Governor race to launch his own party: “Dropping the ‘D’ and the ‘R’”
Florida – Florida attorney John Morgan has spent years putting his name, money and public voice behind causes that moved outside the normal lanes of party politics.
Now, the wealthy Florida business owner and political megadonor says he wants to go further than a campaign, a ballot initiative or a donation drive. He wants to help build a new political party, and he is asking the public to help name it.
Morgan, the founder of the national personal-injury law firm Morgan & Morgan, officially opened a nationwide naming contest on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, offering a $100,000 prize for the person who comes up with the winning name for his proposed third party.
Eligible Americans can submit entries through www.namethepartycontest.com or the linked Sweeppea contest hub.
The idea comes after Morgan chose not to run for Florida governor, ending more than a year of speculation about whether one of the state’s best-known and wealthiest figures would enter the 2026 race.
On April 13, the 70-year-old billionaire posted a video on social media and made his decision clear.
“For about the last year and a half, a lot of people have been asking me to run for governor. It’s a real honor. But I’m not going to do it,” Morgan said.
Instead of launching a campaign for one office, Morgan said he wants to focus on something broader. He pointed to family, his personal life and his desire to spend time in places such as Hawaii as reasons for stepping away from a possible gubernatorial bid.
But the bigger message was political: Morgan said he believes the country needs another option beyond Democrats and Republicans.
That message has now become a public contest.
The naming competition is open to U.S. residents who are at least 18 years old, with slightly higher age requirements in a few states: 19 in Alabama and Nebraska, and 21 in Mississippi.
Each person may submit one entry.
According to the contest details, proposed names will be judged based on broad appeal and creativity. The deadline is 11:59 p.m. on June 2, 2026, and the winner is expected to be announced around June 16.
Morgan framed the effort as a call for practical politics, not another partisan label.
In announcing the contest on X, he wrote: “I’ve learned that once we drop the ‘D’ and the ‘R’, most of us agree on most issues. What we need is a third political party that can compromise with the left and the right to provide real solutions to the people. I’m ready to build it, and I need people’s help to name it.”
I’ve learned that once we drop the ‘D’ and the ‘R’, most of us agree on most issues.
What we need is a third political party that can compromise with the left and the right to provide real solutions to the people.
I’m ready to build it, and I need people's help to name it. pic.twitter.com/vnL9oGwJDy
— John Morgan (@JohnMorganESQ) May 19, 2026
That theme fits the public image Morgan has built over several decades.
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His firm’s famous slogan, “For the People,” appears on billboards across the country. In politics, Morgan has often used his money and influence on issues he argues have support beyond party lines.
He was a major force behind Florida’s 2016 medical marijuana legalization effort. He also played a leading role in the 2020 constitutional amendment that raised Florida’s minimum wage to $15 per hour.
Morgan has repeatedly described those victories as evidence that voters can agree on real-life issues when partisan labels are removed.
A former Democrat, Morgan re-registered as No Party Affiliation around 2017. His proposed party appears to be built around a centrist and practical message, mixing ideas that do not fit neatly into one traditional political box.
His past work has included support for higher wages and cannabis reform, while his public comments have also suggested interest in policies that could appeal to voters on the right.
Morgan has also criticized the current political system as one that often serves the wealthiest Americans while leaving ordinary people behind. He has spoken in the past about income inequality and access to opportunity, themes that now appear central to his third-party pitch.
Still, creating a serious new political party is far more difficult than launching a contest. Florida already has 15 registered minor parties, and the history of American politics is filled with third-party efforts that rose quickly before fading.
The Reform Party tied to Ross Perot and Theodore Roosevelt’s Progressive “Bull Moose” movement are often cited as examples of how difficult it is to challenge the Democratic-Republican structure over time.
A new party would face major hurdles, including ballot access requirements, voter registration efforts, fundraising needs, candidate recruitment and the challenge of convincing voters that supporting a third option is not a wasted vote.
Some voters and political observers have already expressed doubt that Morgan’s idea can survive in a deeply polarized system.
The reaction on X reflected that divide. Some users welcomed the proposal and offered names for the new party, saying the country needs a middle path and more compromise. Others were sharply skeptical, calling the effort a publicity stunt, a spoiler project or another extension of Morgan’s personal brand and legal empire.
There was also humor. As soon as the contest opened, suggested party names began filling comment sections, mixing serious proposals with jokes tied to Morgan’s law-firm background and his long-running “For the People” message.
For Morgan, that public energy appears to be the point. He is not just announcing a platform. He is inviting Americans to take the first small step in shaping the identity of a political movement he says could speak to people tired of the two-party fight.
Whether the effort becomes a lasting force or another short-lived challenge to the political order remains uncertain. But with $100,000 on the table and a billionaire megadonor pushing the idea, Morgan has made one thing clear: he is no longer only talking about a third party. He is trying to start one.
