Changes

|name=Charlie Crist

|name=Charlie Crist

|image=Charlie Crist.jpg

|image=Charlie Crist.jpg

|party=[[Republican]] (until 2010)<br/>[[Independent]]

|party=[[Republican]] (until 2010)<br/>[[Independent]] (2010-2012)<br/>[[Democratic Party|Democrat]] (2012-)

|spouse=Carole Rome

|spouse=Carole Rome

|religion=[[Methodist]]

|religion=[[Methodist]]

}}

}}

'''Charles Joseph "Charlie" Crist, Jr.''' (born July 24, 1956), is an [[attorney]] and a former [[governor]], state Senator and Attorney General of the State of [[Florida]]. He served as a [[Republican]] for the majority of his term as governor, before becoming an [[Independent]] in 2010.  

'''Charles Joseph "Charlie" Crist, Jr.''' (born July 24, 1956), is an [[attorney]] and a former [[governor]], state Senator and Attorney General of the State of [[Florida]]. He served as a [[Republican]] for the majority of his term as governor, before becoming an [[Independent]] in 2010. He joined the Democrats in 2012.

Crist ran for the [[United States|U.S.]] Senate in 2010, competing in the GOP primary race for the seat held by Crist's own appointee, Senator [[George LeMieux]]. LeMieux had replaced Senator [[Mel Martinez]], who had announced he was quitting the Senate. Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, [[Marco Rubio]], also ran for the seat in the 2010 GOP primary. Crist started trailing in the polls to Rubio by large margins and in April 2010 he decided to run as a Independent as it appeared he would lose the nomination to Rubio. Rubio won the general election in November 2010 by a margin of 49% to 30%, with [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] [[Kendrick Meek]] getting 20% of the vote.

Crist ran for the [[United States|U.S.]] Senate in 2010, competing in the GOP primary race for the seat held by Crist's own appointee, Senator [[George LeMieux]]. LeMieux had replaced Senator [[Mel Martinez]], who had announced he was quitting the Senate. Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, [[Marco Rubio]], also ran for the seat in the 2010 GOP primary. Crist started trailing in the polls to Rubio by large margins and in April 2010 he decided to run as a Independent as it appeared he would lose the nomination to Rubio. Rubio won the general election in November 2010 by a margin of 49% to 30%, with [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] [[Kendrick Meek]] getting 20% of the vote.

On the eve of the 2012 [[Republican National Convention]] Crist announced that he was supporting [[Barack Obama]] in the upcoming election. <ref>[http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/columns/former-gov-charlie-crist-heres-why-im-backing-barack-obama/1247631]</ref>

On the eve of the 2012 [[Republican National Convention]] Crist announced that he was supporting [[Barack Obama]] in the upcoming election. <ref>[http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/columns/former-gov-charlie-crist-heres-why-im-backing-barack-obama/1247631]</ref>

==References==

==References==

[[Category:Florida]]

[[Category:Florida]]

[[Category:Florida Governors]]

[[Category:Florida Governors]]

[[Category:Republican Governors]]

[[Category:Democrats]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Crist, Charlie}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Crist, Charlie}}

[[Category:2010 Midterm Elections]]

[[Category:2010 Midterm Elections]]