Charlie Crist Rebuffs Rumors He'll Run for the Senate as an Independent
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist today rebuffed speculation that he would run for the Senate as an independent, even as a Republican primary challenge from Tea Party favorite Marco Rubio continues to build momentum.
"To put these rumors to rest once and for all, as we have said countless times before, Governor Crist is running for the United States Senate as a Republican," Crist's campaign manager Eric Eikenberg said in a statement. "The Governor is proud of his conservative credentials and stands firmly behind the principles of limited government and more personal freedom, the bedrock values of the Republican Party."
Recent actions by the governor, however, have fueled questions about Crist's intent, the St. Petersburg Times reports. For instance, Crist this week vetoed an elections bill favored by Republicans in the state, and he suggested he may veto another bill supported by Republicans like Jeb Bush that would connect teacher pay to student performance. He has also said the U.S. Attorney's Office should handle a criminal investigation into the Florida Republican party.
Meanwhile, former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio appears to be gaining steam in the fight for the GOP nomination. He announced Wednesday he raised $3.6 million over the past 90 days. In recent polls, he has a strong lead over Crist, such as in the Mason-Dixon poll from late March that puts him ahead 48 percent to 37 percent.
Rubio is launching a four-day bus tour next week, which will culminate with Tea Party events on Thursday and Friday.
If Crist were to decide to run as an independent or under the label "No Party Affiliation," he would have to declare the change by April 30.
Such a move would mark the first significant victory for a "Tea Party candidate" over a mainstream Republican. Rubio has benefited from the support of conservatives within the Republican party such as Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina.
By contrast, Crist has not had the strongest ties to the Republican establishment. In his 2006 gubernatorial campaign, he opted to skip a campaign event with President Bush because he considered it politically risky. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said this year that it was "unforgivable" for Crist to support President Obama's stimulus package. Crist's 2008 endorsement of John McCain for president, however, was seen as critical for McCain's victory in the GOP primary.
