Changes

Crist received invaluable experience in Florida’s criminal justice system while working as an intern in the State Attorney’s Office before accepting a position as general counsel for the minor league division of the Baseball Commissioner’s Office.

Crist received invaluable experience in Florida’s criminal justice system while working as an intern in the State Attorney’s Office before accepting a position as general counsel for the minor league division of the Baseball Commissioner’s Office.

==Political career==

==Political career==

Crist began his government service as state director for U.S. Senator Connie Mack before later returning to the private practice of law with the Tampa firm of Wood and Crist.

Crist began his government service as state director for U.S. Senator Connie Mack before later returning to the private practice of law with the Tampa firm of Wood and Crist.

After a defeat in 1986, in 1992, Crist won a seat in the Florida Senate. For six years in the Senate, Governor Crist served as Chairman of the Senate Ethics and Elections Committee and as Chairman of the Appropriations Criminal Justice Subcommittee. A strong voice for public safety, he sponsored, among other legislation, the Stop Turning Out Prisoners (STOP) bill requiring prisoners to serve at least 85% of their prison sentences.  

After a defeat in 1986, in 1992, Crist won a seat in the Florida Senate. For six years in the Senate, he served as Chairman of the Senate Ethics and Elections Committee and as Chairman of the Appropriations Criminal Justice Subcommittee. A strong voice for public safety, he sponsored, among other legislation, the Stop Turning Out Prisoners (STOP) bill requiring prisoners to serve at least 85% of their prison sentences.  

After Crist completed his Senate service, Republican Governor [[Jeb Bush]] appointed him as Deputy Secretary of the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Crist challenged Democratic Senator [[Bob Graham]] in 1998, losing 38%-62%.

After Crist completed his Senate service, Republican Governor [[Jeb Bush]] appointed him as Deputy Secretary of the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Crist challenged Democratic Senator [[Bob Graham]] in 1998, losing 38%-62%.

In 2000, Governor Crist won a special election and became Florida’s last elected Commissioner of Education. He was elected Attorney General in 2002. He carried the general election by more than one-third of a million votes to become Florida’s first elected Republican Attorney General.

In 2000, Governor Crist won a special election and became Florida’s last elected Commissioner of Education. The position became a political appointment in 2003 due to a 1998 constitutional amendment.

===Record as Governor===

===Attorney General===

On November 7, 2006, Charlie Crist was elected to serve as Florida’s Governor.<ref>[http://www.flgov.com/gov_biography|Charlie Crist's Biography]</ref> He held conservative positions on social issues, such as broadening the use of [[capital punishment]] <ref>http://issues2000.org/Governor/Charlie_Crist_Crime.htm</ref>, and he also signed legislation that allows employees, customers and those invited to a business establishment to keep guns locked in their motor vehicles, as long as they have a concealed weapons license - a policy which [[liberal]] critics dubbed "bring your gun to work day." <ref>http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN0948339420080409</ref> He also supported a ban on gay adoption. <ref>http://www.dailyhome.com/news/2008/as-nation-1001-0-8i30u4543.htm</ref>

On November 7, 2006, Charlie Crist was elected to serve as Florida’s Governor.<ref>[http://www.flgov.com/gov_biography|Charlie Crist's Biography]</ref> He held conservative positions on social issues, such as broadening the use of [[capital punishment]] <ref>http://issues2000.org/Governor/Charlie_Crist_Crime.htm</ref>, and he also signed legislation that allows employees, customers and those invited to a business establishment to keep guns locked in their motor vehicles, provided they had a concealed weapons license - a policy that [[liberal]] critics dubbed "bring your gun to work day." <ref>http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN0948339420080409</ref> He also supported a ban on gay adoption. <ref>http://www.dailyhome.com/news/2008/as-nation-1001-0-8i30u4543.htm</ref>

On economics however, his actions have alienated conservatives. Crist supported President Obama’s $787 billion stimulus package. With a $2.4 billion state deficit, Crist vetoed Republican proposals to cut $365 million from the budget. <ref>http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics/florida/story/875453.html</ref> In December of 2008, when the state economy was plunging, Governor Crist took a 12 day trip to Europe with his fiancée that cost taxpayers $430,000. <ref>http://www.palmbeachpost.com/local_news/content/local_news/epaper/2008/12/08/1208europe.html</ref> Crist defended it as a trip to promote [[free trade]].  

On economics however, his actions alienated conservatives. Crist supported President Obama’s $787 billion stimulus package. With a $2.4 billion state deficit, Crist vetoed Republican proposals to cut $365 million from the budget. <ref>http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics/florida/story/875453.html</ref> In December of 2008, when the state economy was plunging, Governor Crist took a 12 day trip to Europe with his fiancée that cost taxpayers $430,000. <ref>http://www.palmbeachpost.com/local_news/content/local_news/epaper/2008/12/08/1208europe.html</ref> Crist defended it as a trip to promote [[free trade]].  

Although Crist opposed offshore oil drilling during his gubernatorial campaign, he changed his position, saying "I mean, let's face it, the price of gas has gone through the roof, and Florida families are suffering, and my heart bleeds for them." <ref>http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D91CGGV81&show_article=1</ref>  

Although Crist opposed offshore oil drilling during his gubernatorial campaign, he changed his position, saying "I mean, let's face it, the price of gas has gone through the roof, and Florida families are suffering, and my heart bleeds for them." <ref>http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D91CGGV81&show_article=1</ref>  

Crist's style is folksy and he searches for bipartisanship. His handling of the great hurricanes of 2005-6 was widely praised. He appointed one moderate and two conservatives to the state supreme court. His support for [[John McCain]] helped carry the state primary and defeated [[Mitt Romney]].

Crist's style is folksy and he searched for bipartisanship during his governorship. His handling of the great hurricanes of 2005-6 was widely praised. He appointed one moderate and two conservatives to the state supreme court. His support for [[John McCain]] helped carry the state primary and defeat [[Mitt Romney]].

Crist demonstrated his support of [[gambling]] when he "signed a new gambling compact (August 31, 2009) with the Seminole Tribe, worth an estimated $6.8 billion over 20 years."<ref>http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/sep/01/na-crist-signs-gaming-pact/</ref>

Crist demonstrated his support of [[gambling]] when he "signed a new gambling compact (August 31, 2009) with the Seminole Tribe, worth an estimated $6.8 billion over 20 years."<ref>http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/sep/01/na-crist-signs-gaming-pact/</ref>

==Personal life==

==Personal life==

==Post-political career==

==Post-political career==