Rep. Charlie Crist served as Florida’s governor as a Republican, and in 2022, he’s running as a Democrat against incumbent Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Jimmie Johnson Reporter

Charlie Crist hopes to dethrone Ron DeSantis as Florida governor

Sep 14, 2022

Jimmie Johnson Reporter

By Jimmie Johnson (Reporter), Emma Stoltzfus (Editor)

Rep. Charlie Crist, D-FL, previously served as Florida’s governor as a Republican. In 2022, he’s running as a Democrat against incumbent Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).

Crist’s gubernatorial campaign has focused on uniting Floridians, but following his Democratic primary victory, he struck a different tone.

“Those that support the governor should stay with him and vote for him,” Crist said on the campaign trail. “I don’t want your vote. 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 later walked back those comments in an appearance on MSNBC. He said, “He’s a unifier” and “if someone is a staunch DeSantis supporter, they’re probably not going to vote for me anyway.”

“This is his fifth decade running for office,” Gov. DeSantis told Tucker Carlson on Fox News. “He’s a chameleon, a typical career politician.”

Crist is a familiar face to Floridians, having served as governor, attorney general, education commissioner, and state senator.

Crist has said he supports expanding abortion access, restoring voting rights to ex-felons, legalizing recreational marijuana, banning conversion therapy, and addressing the state’s affordable housing crisis.

“Our property insurance is through the roof,” Crist said on MSNBC. “Try to buy a house in Florida anymore – you can’t do it unless you’re a millionaire or billionaire, and most of us aren’t.”

The Democrat has an uphill battle heading into the general election in November. According to followthemoney.com, Crist raised just over $15 million compared to DeSantis’s more than $170 million during August.

Tags: 2022 Elections, Ron DeSantis

[REPORTER TRACK]

[pics of him in congress, campaigning as governor, pic of him as a republican governor]

JIMMIE JOHNSON: THIS CONGRESSMAN IS A CANDIDATE FOR FLORIDA GOVERNOR – AN OFFICE HE’S HELD BEFORE – AS A REPUBLICAN.

CHARLIE CRIST: “I was proud of what we accomplished.”

JOHNSON: THIS TIME AROUND, HE’S RUNNING AS A DEMOCRAT, HOPING TO HAND A DEFEAT TO INCUMBENT GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS.

CRIST: “He’s [Desantis] on the battlefield of hate. I am on the battlefield of love.”

JOHNSON: REPRESENTATIVE CHARLIE CRIST IS JUST ONE NAME YOU NEED TO KNOW.

CRIST HAS MOSTLY RUN A CAMPAIGN AIMED AT UNITING FLORIDIANS BUT AFTER HIS DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY VICTORY, HE STRUCK A DIFFERENT TONE.

CRIST: ”Those that support the governor should stay with him and vote for him. I don’t want your vote. 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.”

JOHNSON: HE LATER WALKED BACK THOSE COMMENTS SAYING HE’S A UNIFIER AND “IF SOMEONE IS A STAUNCH DESANTIS SUPPORTER, THEY’RE PROBABLY NOT GOING TO VOTE FOR ME ANYWAY.”

DESANTIS: “This is his fifth decade running for office. He’s a chameleon, a typical career politician.”

JOHNSON: CRIST IS A FAMILIAR FACE TO FLORIDIANS – PREVIOUSLY SERVING AS GOVERNOR, ATTORNEY GENERAL, EDUCATION COMMISSIONER, AND STATE SENATOR.

ON THE ISSUES, HE SUPPORTS EXPANDING ABORTION ACCESS, RESTORING VOTING RIGHTS TO EX-FELONS, LEGALIZING RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA, BANNING CONVERSION THERAPY, AND ADDRESSING THE SUNSHINE STATE’S AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS.

CRIST: ”Our property insurance is through the roof. Try to buy a house in Florida anymore, you can’t do it unless you’re a millionaire or billionaire and most of us aren’t.”

JOHNSON: THE DEMOCRAT HAS AN UPHILL BATTLE HEADING INTO NOVEMBER.
RAISING JUST OVER 15-MILLION AS OF AUGUST, COMPARED TO DESANTIS’ WAR CHEST OF WELL OVER 170-MILLION.

24-HOURS AFTER HIS PRIMARY WIN, CRIST POSTED A ONE-MILLION-DOLLAR FUNDRAISING DAY.

HE ALSO RECEIVED A 100-THOUSAND-DOLLAR PLEDGE FROM A KEY DEMOCRAT – CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM.

WILL THE CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS KEEP COMING IN?

AND ARE THEY ENOUGH TO DETHRONE DESANTIS?

CHARLIE CRIST IS JUST ONE NAME YOU SHOULD KNOW.