Hollywood Mayor Josh Levy, now in his third and final term leading Broward County's third-largest city, has left the Democratic Party and re-registered as an independent. It’s a move he says reflects a growing frustration with the hyper-partisan climate gripping American politics at every level of government.
Speaking on WLRN's South Florida Roundup with host Tim Padgett, Levy said the decision, made in March, was not driven by a single event. He called it “cumulative" and explained that people make assumptions about your platform when you are aligned with a political party.
"I didn't change who I am," Levy said. "I just decided that I don't need a party label to predefine for people who can't look beyond a party label."
In the upcoming midterm elections, he is supporting candidates from both parties, endorsing Democrat Jared Moskowitz for Congress and Republican Hillary Cassel for state representative, based not on party label but on what he calls “effectiveness.”
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"I just simply didn't want a letter next to my name deciding what residents should think about me even before I had an opportunity to speak. So I'd rather look at an issue, understand facts, and make decisions that are right." Levy said.
Levy is term-limited and cannot seek re-election, but his departure from the Democratic Party comes at a moment when Florida's independent voter base currently sits at around a quarter of the registered voter population.
Levy, who was registered with no party affiliation before first running for mayor in 2016, said he joined the Democratic Party that year because it felt like the right fit at the time.
Listen above to the Sept. 25, 2026, interview with Hollywood Mayor Josh Levy, on WLRN's South Florida Roundup with host Tim Padgett or wherever you get your podcasts.
