ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Oct. 20 (UPI) — Charlie Crist, former Republican governor of Florida, announced his candidacy Tuesday, as a Democrat, for a Florida congressional seat.
He spoke to supporters in St. Petersburg Tuesday as he began his campaign to win Florida’s 13th Congressional District seat.
“Public service is in my heart. I can’t help it. I guess that’s fairly obvious,” Crist said.
Crist, 59, was Florida governor as a Republican from 2007 to 2011 and regarded as a rising star in the party. Attempting to win the party’s senatorial nomination in 2010 instead of a second term as governor, he lost to Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), then ran unsuccessfully as an independent. As a Democrat, Crist ran again for governor in 2014 and lost to Rick Scott.
Crist’s legislative district, redrawn in July, is now heavily Democratic and African-American, and some consider it to be a place a Republican candidate could not win; incumbent Republican Rep. David Jolly (R-FL) chose to run for the Senate to replace Rubio, who is currently seeking the GOP presidential nomination.
Jolly, dismissive of Crist’s candidacy, commented, “I have served with a lot of bad members of Congress. Charlie would be the worst.”
Crist will face opposition in the Democratic primary from Eric Lynn, a former Pentagon official. Former St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker is considering running for the Congressional seat as a Republican.
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