Once again, Democrat Charlie Crist is running for Florida Governor. It will be Crist’s third run for governor since 2006 and his seventh bid for statewide office in a political career that has spanned more than three decades.
The Hill reports:
But Crist almost certainly won’t be the only Democrat to enter the race. An announcement by state Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried is believed to be imminent.
Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.) is also weighing a bid for governor. Her congressional campaign released a video hours before Crist’s announcement on Tuesday touting her experience in an apparent tease at a run for higher office.
Crist’s gubernatorial run is just the latest development in a long and tumultuous political career. A longtime Republican, Crist won the governor’s mansion in 2006. He mounted a bid for Senate in 2010 instead of seeking a second term as governor, eventually running as an Independent after losing the Republican primary.
He lost that race to Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) before running for governor again in 2014 as a Democrat and eventually losing to former Gov. Rick Scott (R).
Crist is the first Democrat to enter the gubernatorial race to challenge the popular Ron DeSantis who has also been floated as a possible presidential contender in 2024.