Rep. Charlie Crist (D-FL), the Democrat challenging Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) in Florida’s gubernatorial election, has resigned from the House and will leave his post to focus solely, presumably, on the Sunshine State’s gubernatorial race.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, Crist said in a statement that it was “an honor and a privilege” to serve in Congress, representing Florida’s 13th District, and he touted his achievements, thanking “the people — my bosses — who have guided my work in Congress since Day One.”
His resignation will be in effect Wednesday as Republican Anna Paulina Luna fights to flip Crist’s seat against her Democrat opponent Eric Lynn.
Crist’s decision to leave his term early comes two months ahead of Florida’s gubernatorial race, as he challenges popular Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The Democrat kicked off his official general election campaign with a bang last week after informing millions of Floridians that he does not want their vote, because he believes they have “hate” in their heart for supporting the governor and his freedom-first approach.
“Those who support the governor should stay with him and vote for him, and I don’t want your vote,” Crist said.
“If you have that hate in your heart, keep it there. I want the vote of the people of Florida who care about our state. Good Democrats. Good independents. Good Republicans. Unify with this ticket,” he pleaded:
Crist: "Those who support DeSantis should stay with him and vote for him and I don't want your vote. If you have that hate in your heart, keep it there." pic.twitter.com/S0B93bw52i
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) August 24, 2022
“[Crist] is insulting the voters,” DeSantis told Mark Levin, responding to Crist’s remarks.
“He’s saying that people that have supported us since I’ve been governor, not just who voted for me in ‘18 but a lot of the support — we’ve grown because they’re parents that cared about their kids’ education and so they support our agenda,” he continued.
“It’s not because of hate in their hearts. You have workers whose jobs were saved because we kept the state open. He wanted to lock it down. It’s not hate in their hearts. They’re just very appreciative of the leadership,” DeSantis continued, noting that Crist “also referred to conservative voters as the ‘toothless set.’”
DeSantis also noted that Crist tends to be in lockstep with President Biden — something the Republican Party of Florida emphasized as well, warning that the Democrat seeks to impose Biden policies in Florida:
DeSantis has continued to rake in endorsements from a variety of groups — from the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA) to the Florida Retail Association — while Crist received a $100,000 pledge from none other than California Gov Gavin Newsom (D), further advancing the fears that Crist desires to “Make Florida California.”
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