Charlie Crist announces he’s running against Gov. Rick Scott in 2014. (Photo by Mike Cohen)
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Center for Investigative Reporting
After lengthy speculation that former-Governor Charlie Crist would run against Gov. Rick Scott in 2014, the Republican-turned-Democrat officially entered the race.
Crist filed papers this past Friday and announced over the weekend that he would be making a big announcement today. The Tampa Bay Times reports:
In front of a crowd of a couple hundred people on the waterfront in his hometown, former Florida Republican Gov. Charlie Crist announced he is running for governor as a Democrat “and the reason is to put you back in charge because you deserve a governor that wakes up every day thinking about you, who you can trust to govern honestly, in our collective best interest.”
Crist, accompanied on stage by his wife, Carole, and Democratic officials, said, “Tallahassee is out of control. … The voice of the people has been silenced by the financial bullies and the special interests. … You really have no advocate there anymore.”
Crist attacked Gov. Rick Scott for campaigning in 2010 as an outsider but not keeping with it.
Crist left the Republican Party during a failed run for the U.S. Senate in 2010. Tea Party- favorite Marco Rubio was way ahead of Crist in the polls, so Crist became an Independent so he wouldn’t lose the primary. When Crist joined the Democratic Party, it seemed a clear signal he was eyeing a second run as Florida’s Governor.
Florida’s upcoming gubernatorial election is expected to be one of the most closely watched races in the country. Scott, since the beginning of term, has been one of the most unpopular governors in the county. Over time, his polling has only gotten marginally better.
One of the most notable characteristics of this race is mostly likely going to be the money involved. Scott put in millions of his own money to win in 2010. His current fundraising power, as well as his wealth, has crowded out many potential Democratic opponents, as well as any Republican looking to run against Scott in the primary.
Already, expectations for political spending in this race are high. Bloomberg News reports:
Crist’s entry into the 2014 campaign opens the spigot of political spending for election consultants, pollsters and advertising agencies from both parties. Florida’s current Republican governor, Rick Scott, spent $73 million of his own money in a record-setting bid in 2010.
“It’s going to be a bonanza,” said Jay Goldfarb, who earned more than $18,000 this year through his Budget Printing Center in Riviera Beach, producing fundraising invitations for Scott. “I expect this to continue, very hot and heavy, right down to the wire.”
… Scott, 60, a former health-care executive, listed his net worth at $218 million in 2010 and $83 million in a financial disclosure report this year. Crist, 57, a lawyer at Tampa-based law firm Morgan & Morgan, listed his net worth at about $441,500 just before leaving office in January 2011. He entered the race Nov. 1 and has yet to file a new disclosure.
Crist told a Florida Democratic Party conference last month that Scott plans to spend $100 million on his re-election. Crist has touted his own ties to prodigious fundraisers including Obama and former president Bill Clinton.
Money aside, this race could be a tough one for Crist. For one, Crist has to garner support from Democrats in the state, many of which knew him first as a Republican governor. Whether progressives in the state will support him come November 2014 is a mystery.
Crist also has a primary challenger. Democratic former state Sen. Nan Rich from Weston has been running in the last several months as the only Democratic challenger to Scott. She has said that even if Crist runs, she would be the only real Democratic candidate. However, she has not had as much luck raising money and lacks Crist’s name recognition.