Charlie Crist facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Charlie Crist
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Official portrait, 2017
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 13th district |
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| In office January 3, 2017 – August 31, 2022 |
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| Preceded by | David Jolly |
| Succeeded by | Anna Paulina Luna |
| 44th Governor of Florida | |
| In office January 2, 2007 – January 4, 2011 |
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| Lieutenant | Jeff Kottkamp |
| Preceded by | Jeb Bush |
| Succeeded by | Rick Scott |
| 35th Florida Attorney General | |
| In office January 7, 2003 – January 2, 2007 |
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| Governor | Jeb Bush |
| Preceded by | Richard E. Doran |
| Succeeded by | Bill McCollum |
| 21st Education Commissioner of Florida | |
| In office January 3, 2001 – January 7, 2003 |
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| Governor | Jeb Bush |
| Preceded by | Tom Gallagher |
| Succeeded by | Jim Horne |
| Member of the Florida Senate from the 20th district |
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| In office November 3, 1992 – November 3, 1998 |
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| Preceded by | Constituency redistricted |
| Succeeded by | Jim Sebesta |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Charles Joseph Crist Jr.
July 24, 1956 Altoona, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic (2012–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
Independent (2010–2012) Republican (before 2010) |
| Spouses |
Amanda Morrow
(m. 1979; div. 1980)Carole Oumano
(m. 2008; div. 2017) |
| Education | Wake Forest University Florida State University (BA) Samford University (JD) |
| Signature |  |
Charles Joseph Crist Jr. (born July 24, 1956) is an American lawyer and politician. He served as the 44th Governor of Florida from 2007 to 2011. He was also a U.S. representative for Florida from 2017 to 2022.
Crist is known for having been a member of different political parties. He was a Republican for many years. In 2010, he became an independent. Since 2012, he has been a member of the Democratic Party.
Born in Pennsylvania, Crist grew up in St. Petersburg, Florida. He went to Florida State University and later earned a law degree from Samford University. Before becoming governor, he held several other important jobs in Florida. He was a state senator, the education commissioner, and the attorney general. In 2006, he was elected governor of Florida.
While governor, Crist ran for the U.S. Senate in 2010. He left the Republican Party to run as an independent but lost the election to Marco Rubio. After his term as governor ended, Crist joined the Democratic Party in 2012. He ran for governor again in 2014 but lost to Rick Scott.
In 2016, Crist was elected to the U.S. Congress, representing his home district in St. Petersburg. He was the first Democrat to represent this area since 1955. He served in Congress until 2022, when he resigned to run for governor one more time. He lost that election to the current governor, Ron DeSantis.
In 2023, President Joe Biden nominated Crist to be the U.S. ambassador to the International Civil Aviation Organization, which is part of the United Nations.
Contents
Early Life and School
Charlie Crist was born in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on July 24, 1956. His father, Charles Joseph Crist, was a doctor. His mother was Nancy Crist. His family's last name was changed from the Greek name "Christodoulos."
When he was a child, his family moved to St. Petersburg, Florida. He went to St. Petersburg High School and graduated in 1974. He has three sisters.
Crist first went to Wake Forest University, where he was a quarterback on the football team. He later transferred to Florida State University. At Florida State, he was elected vice president of the student body. He earned his bachelor's degree there. After that, he went to Samford University's Cumberland School of Law to get his law degree.
Start of His Career
After law school, Crist worked as a lawyer for Minor League Baseball. He soon became interested in politics. In 1986, he ran for a seat in the Florida Senate but lost. He then worked for U.S. Senator Connie Mack III, who he said was his political mentor.
In 1992, Crist was elected to the Florida Senate. He was known for supporting strong laws against crime. He also supported higher pay for teachers and programs to protect the Everglades. He was reelected in 1994.
In 1998, Crist ran for the U.S. Senate against Bob Graham but lost. Even though he lost, many people in Florida got to know his name. He then held two other state jobs. He was the Florida Education Commissioner from 2001 to 2003. After that, he was elected as Florida's Attorney General, serving from 2003 to 2007.
Governor of Florida
In 2006, Charlie Crist was elected governor of Florida. He defeated Democrat Jim Davis. As governor, he promised to lower taxes, improve schools, and protect the environment.
Crist was a very popular governor. Polls showed that people from all political parties approved of the job he was doing. He got some criticism from Republicans for supporting President Barack Obama's plan to help the economy during the Great Recession.
Instead of running for a second term as governor, Crist decided to run for the U.S. Senate again in 2010.
Changing Political Parties
When Crist first ran for the Senate in 2010, he was a Republican. But another Republican, Marco Rubio, became more popular in the party. So, in April 2010, Crist announced he would leave the Republican Party and run as an independent.
In the election, he faced Republican Marco Rubio and Democrat Kendrick Meek. Rubio won the election. Crist came in second place.
On December 7, 2012, Crist officially joined the Democratic Party. He said he had supported President Barack Obama for reelection that year. He explained his decision in a book called The Party's Over. He wrote that he felt the Republican Party had become too extreme.
Running for Office as a Democrat
2014 Governor's Race
In 2013, Crist announced he would run for governor again, this time as a Democrat. He won the Democratic primary. In the main election, he faced the current governor, Rick Scott. It was a very close race, but Crist lost by about 1%.
This made Crist one of the few politicians to lose a major statewide election in Florida as a Republican, an independent, and a Democrat.
U.S. House of Representatives
In 2016, Crist ran for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. He ran in his home district, which includes St. Petersburg. He won the election, becoming the first Democrat to represent that district in over 60 years.
Crist was reelected in 2018 and 2020. In Congress, he served on important committees, including the Committee on Appropriations, which decides how the government spends money.
On August 31, 2022, Crist resigned from Congress to focus on his campaign for governor.
2022 Governor's Race
In May 2021, Crist announced he was running for governor of Florida again. He won the Democratic primary election. His running mate for lieutenant governor was Karla Hernández-Mats.
In the general election on November 8, 2022, he faced the current governor, Ron DeSantis. Crist lost the election.
Political Views
Over his career, Charlie Crist's political views have changed.
- Environment: As governor, he worked to create stricter rules against air pollution. He also led a major project to buy land to help restore the Everglades.
- Gun Policy: Early in his career, he was supported by the NRA. After the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012, he changed his views. He began to support stricter gun control laws.
- LGBT Rights: Crist's views on LGBT rights have also evolved. In 2008, he voted for a ban on same-sex marriage in Florida. By 2010, he said he was open to allowing same-sex couples to adopt children. In 2013, he announced his full support for marriage equality. He later apologized for his earlier positions.
- Economy: As governor, he supported President Obama's economic stimulus plan in 2009. He said the plan saved thousands of jobs for teachers in Florida.
Personal Life
Crist married Amanda Morrow in 1979. They divorced about a year later.
In 2008, he married Carole Rome. They were married for over eight years before divorcing in 2017.
In 2022, Crist announced he was engaged to a medical sonographer with six children.
See also
In Spanish: Charlie Crist para niños
