Crist Resigns Early From Congress, Faces DeSantis In FL Governor Race

PINELLAS COUNTY, FL — U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, Florida’s Democratic gubernatorial candidate, resigned early from Congress Wednesday, according to a news release from his office.

He represented Florida’s 13th Congressional District, which covers much of Pinellas County — from Clearwater to St. Petersburg — according to a map on the former congressman’s website.

Although Crist didn’t provide a reason for stepping down, he faces Republican incumbent Gov. Ron DeSantis in the Nov. 8 general election. The race has garnered national attention as DeSantis has emerged as a possible challenger for the GOP presidential nomination in 2024.

Crist defeated Nikki Fried in the Aug. 23 primary election to win the Democratic nomination, taking home about 60 percent of the vote, according to state election results.

On Saturday, Crist named his running mate in the gubernatorial election, Karla Hernandez, the president of the teachers union in Miami, CBS Miami reported.

“Serving as the Representative of Florida’s 13th Congressional District has been an honor and a privilege,” Crist said in a statement. “When I first took office nearly six years ago, I vowed to defend our veterans, bring jobs to Florida, fight climate change and put people over politics. As I close out my time in Congress, I could not be prouder of the work we’ve done to uphold those promises — passing legislation to support our veterans, expanding solar energy in the Sunshine State, securing millions in direct funding for community projects, and returning over $6 million in earned benefits to the people of Pinellas.”

• Also Read: Crist Calls DeSantis A Bully, Fried Vows To Campaign For All Democrats

The 13th congressional district will remain vacant until after the November election. Staff for the district's office will continue to provide casework and services to constituents until representatives for the newly redistricted 13th and 14th districts are sworn in this January, according to the news release.

Democrat Eric Lynn, a former senior adviser for President Barack Obama, will go up against Republican candidate Anna Paulina Luna for the 13th district seat in November.

Crist, who grew up in St. Petersburg, is a 1974 St. Petersburg High School graduate. He earned a law degree at the Cumberland School of Law at Sambord University in Birmingham, Alabama.

When he first got into politics, he served in the Florida Senate from 1993 to 1999 as a Republican. He went on to serve as the state’s education commissioner from 2001 to 2003, then attorney general to 2007, Patch reported. At that time, while still a member of the GOP, he was elected governor of the Sunshine State.

Crist began his political career as a Republican, serving in the Florida Senate from 1993 to 1999. From 2001 to 2003, he served as education commission for Florida and then as attorney general from 2003 to 2007 being elected governor, a role he held until 2011.

He ran for U.S. Senate as an independent in 2010, losing to Republican Sen. Marco Rubio. Crist then switched over to the Democratic party, running for governor in 2013 and losing to former Gov. Rick Scott by a 1 percent margin.

In 2016, he ousted incumbent David Jolly to take on his recent U.S. House role.