ST. PETERSBURG, FL- Charlie Crist, who started the day as the sitting elected Republican governor of Florida and a GOP Senatorial hopeful, announced this evening that he is leaving the political party that he has called home since he began his succesful political career, and officially declared that he is now running as an independent candidate for U.S. Senate.
“My decision to run for the U.S. Senate with out party affiliation says more about our nation and our state than it does about me,” Crist said, describing the current political system as a “broken” one .
“I know this is unchartered terroritory. I am aware of that and I am aware that after this speech ends, I don’t have either party helping me. But I need you, I need you the people more than ever, ” Crist said to the enthusiastic cheers of his hometown crowd. ” I was never one who sought to hold elective office to demagogue or point fingers. For me, public service has always been about putting the needs of our state and our people first.”
As a GOP candidate Crist was badly trailing Republican rising star Marco Rubio in the GOP primary.However, as an independent candidate, Crist is in a statistical dead heat with Rubio, and Democrat Kendrick Meek for the Florida senate seat, according to a recent Quinnipiac poll.