Former Gov. Charlie Crist launches a campaign to be Florida governor again

Fifteen years after voters elected him to the office as a Republican, 11 years after leaving it in an unsuccessful independent bid for U.S. Senate and seven years after his comeback attempt as a Democrat fell short, Charlie Crist announced Tuesday he will once again seek his old job as Florida governor.

Crist, elected in November to a third term in the U.S. House of Representatives, said he grew convinced in recent months that Tallahassee and the Governor’s Mansion is where he could do “the most good.”

“We need to stop the division and hate, bring our state together,” Crist told several dozen supporters gathered under a blistering sun in South St. Petersburg. “You deserve jobs you can live on, housing you can afford and justice that’s equal.”

So begins the long, uphill road for Democrats as they try to find a candidate who can defeat Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2022. Crist is the first Democrat to officially jump in, but his announcement had the effect of rattling a handful of publicly undecided prospective candidates. Several now appear closer to making that call.

One of them, U.S. Rep. Val Demings, stole some spotlight from Crist on Tuesday, rolling out a campaign-style video that appeared to hype a looming announcement. It highlighted the recent buzz surrounding her rise from Orlando police chief to potential running mate for Joe Biden. “Ready for the moment,” she wrote on Twitter.

Nikki Fried speaks up

Meanwhile, Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, who has long been expected to run for governor herself, held a news conference in Tallahassee where she essentially laid out how she planned to challenge DeSantis, if she were to enter the race.

Sporting a “Nice Jewish Girl” face mask, Fried cast DeSantis as an “authoritarian” who has crafted a legislative agenda aimed less at the needs of Floridians and more at his own political aspirations.

But Fried did not provide a timeline on her potential run. She said she is “having final conversations” with family and friends and gauging support among constituents.

When it comes to Crist, Fried said he is better off staying in Congress.

“It’s a time when we need his voice and his vote in Washington, D.C., and his seat is one that only probably Charlie Crist can hold on to,” she said.

State Rep. Anna Eskamani, an Orlando Democrat who is well-liked among progressives and activists, said she is meeting Tuesday with supporters encouraging her to run and will make a decision soon. Eskamani said Crist was “better than DeSantis, but we need a new generation of leaders to carry our state forward and to inspire strong turnout.”

Crist directs his comments at DeSantis

Crist was unfazed by the potential competition for the nomination.

“I’m running against Ron DeSantis,” Crist said after his event. “And any Democrat who wants to run should.”

Indeed, Crist’s first remarks as a candidate were focused on DeSantis and the clashes over voting, transgender rights and tax cuts for corporations that transpired during the legislative session that just concluded in Tallahassee.

Crist was also critical of DeSantis’ handling of the coronavirus and the rollout of the vaccine, suggesting the state’s 35,000-body death toll could have been less if DeSantis heeded the advice of public health experts.

“He’s failed to lead during the greatest health and economic crisis in our lifetime,” Crist said.

DeSantis responded to questions about Crist’s run by quipping: “Which party is he going to run under? Do we even know for sure?”

“He has run as a Republican, lost; independent, lost; Democrat lost,” DeSantis said. “But now I see he’s voting with Nancy Pelosi 100 percent of the time, he could probably give it a run for the Green Party in San Francisco.”

The program on Tuesday also emphasized Crist’s long career in public service, beginning in 1992 and his successful campaign for the Florida Senate, followed by the three years he served as the state’s last elected education commissioner. In 2003, voters elected Crist to a four-year term as attorney general before his successful campaign for governor.

“He knows the state. He has the experience,” said Christie Fisher, a 74-year-old retired teacher from Gulfport. “He has made the mistakes, so he knows where to make corrections.”

Tampa Bay Times political reporter Steve Contorno reported from St. Petersburg. Ana Ceballos reported from Tallahassee.