Charlie Crist
The former Republican governor of Florida is back to take another crack at the governor’s mansion—his second comeback attempt in eight years.
Crist, now a Democratic congressman, lost his two previous statewide races after he stepped down as governor in 2010 in favor of a failed Senate run against Marco Rubio. Four years later, Crist, who by then had left the GOP, tried to return to Tallahassee, but could not unseat then-Gov. Rick Scott.
Those failed runs have helped Crist maintain name recognition statewide, but early signs suggest that this alone won’t be enough to carry the 64-year-old white man through the 2022 primary.
He dodged one bullet this summer when Rep. Val Demings (D-FL) declined an anticipated gubernatorial bid in favor of making a run at Rubio’s seat. But Crist still faces another in current Agricultural Commissioner Nikki Fried, the only statewide elected Democrat. As the gubernatorial field took shape this spring, Crist’s trusted political team went through a shakeup, with some allies prepared to side with Fried, Politico reported.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member