Charlie Crist facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Charlie Crist
Official portrait, 2017

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 13th district
In office January 3, 2017 – August 31, 2022
Preceded by	David Jolly
Succeeded by	Anna Paulina Luna
44th Governor of Florida
In office January 2, 2007 – January 4, 2011
Lieutenant	Jeff Kottkamp
Preceded by	Jeb Bush
Succeeded by	Rick Scott
35th Attorney General of Florida
In office January 7, 2003 – January 2, 2007
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
Governor	Jeb Bush
Preceded by	Tom Gallagher
Succeeded by	Jim Horne
Member of the Florida Senate from the 20th district
In office November 3, 1992 – November 3, 1998
Preceded by	Constituency redistricted
Succeeded by	Jim Sebesta

Personal details
Born	Charles Joseph Crist Jr. (1956-07-24) July 24, 1956 (age 68) 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. Later, he was a U.S. Representative for Florida's 13th district from 2017 to 2022.

Crist has been a member of the Democratic Party since 2012. Before that, he was a Republican. In 2010, he became an independent for a short time.

He served in the Florida Senate from 1993 to 1999. He also served as Florida Education Commissioner from 2001 to 2003. Then, he was the Florida Attorney General from 2003 to 2007. He was elected Governor of Florida in 2006.

In 2010, while governor, Crist ran for the U.S. Senate again. He started as a Republican but later ran as an independent. He lost to Marco Rubio. In 2012, he joined the Democratic Party. He ran for governor again in 2014 but lost to Rick Scott. In 2016, Crist was elected to Congress. He was the first Democrat to represent his district since 1955.

In 2022, Crist was the Democratic candidate for Governor of Florida. He resigned from the House to focus on his campaign. He was defeated by the current governor, Ron DeSantis. In 2023, President Joe Biden nominated Crist to be the U.S. ambassador to the International Civil Aviation Organization. This is a United Nations agency.

Early Life and School

Charlie Crist was born in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on July 24, 1956. His father was a doctor of Greek and Lebanese descent. His mother had Scots-Irish, Swiss, and Welsh roots. His family's name comes from the Greek name "Christodoulos."

When he was a child, Crist moved to St. Petersburg, Florida. He went to Riviera Junior High School and St. Petersburg High School, graduating in 1974. He is the second of four children. He has three sisters.

Crist attended Wake Forest University for two years. He played quarterback for the football team there. He then transferred to Florida State University in Tallahassee. He earned his college degree from Florida State. He was also elected vice president of the student body. He later earned his law degree from Samford University Cumberland School of Law.

Charlie Crist played quarterback for the Wake Forest football team during the 1974 and 1975 seasons.

Early Career in Politics

After finishing law school in 1981, Crist worked as a lawyer. He was interested in politics and first ran for public office in 1986. He ran for a state Senate seat in Pinellas County but lost.

After that, Crist worked with his brother-in-law in a private law practice. He soon returned to politics. He worked as an aide for Connie Mack III's successful U.S. Senate campaign in 1988. Crist has called Mack his political mentor.

Serving in the Florida Senate

In 1992, Crist was elected to the Florida Senate. He served a two-year term representing parts of St. Petersburg and South Tampa. He won against the longtime Democratic state senator Helen Gordon Davis. His win helped end the Democratic Party's long control of the Florida Senate.

As a senator, Crist was known for his "law-and-order" approach. He supported laws that made prisoners serve at least 85% of their sentences. He also supported higher salaries for teachers and charter schools. He helped create a special license plate to support Everglades conservation.

In 1994, Crist was reelected to the Senate for a four-year term.

U.S. Senate Campaign and Education Commissioner Role

Crist became more widely known in 1998 when he ran for the U.S. Senate. He was the Republican challenger to the Democratic senator Bob Graham. Crist focused on conservative ideas about taxes and crime. He lost the election to Graham.

However, this campaign helped him gain public recognition. In 1999, Governor Jeb Bush appointed him to a state position in business regulation. He served there until 2000.

In 2000, Crist ran for Florida Education Commissioner in a special election. He won by a large number of votes. He took office in January 2001. Crist was the last statewide elected education commissioner. After he left, the position became one appointed by the governor of Florida.

Crist in 2001

Becoming Florida Attorney General

In 2002, Crist was elected Florida Attorney General. His campaign was supported by John Walsh, the host of America's Most Wanted. Walsh and others praised Crist's work with the Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Civil rights and consumer groups liked Crist because he increased the Attorney General's powers. This gave him and future attorneys general more power to handle civil rights and fraud cases. Crist also worked to stop email spam, control utility rates, and protect the environment.

Serving as Governor of Florida

Crist was elected Governor of Florida in 2006. He won against Democrat Jim Davis. When he became governor, he promised to lower taxes, improve education, reduce crime, and protect the environment.

During his time as governor, Crist was very popular with Floridians. In 2007, he had a 70% approval rating. In 2010, instead of running for governor again, he decided to run for the U.S. Senate as an independent. Around this time, Crist also shared that his views on certain social issues had become more open.

Crist's official portrait as Governor

His Role in the 2008 Presidential Election

Senator John McCain supported Crist's campaign for governor in 2006. Later, Crist endorsed McCain in the 2008 Republican presidential primary. McCain won the Florida primary.

In 2007, Crist signed a law that moved Florida's presidential primary date earlier. This went against national party rules. Crist worked to make sure Florida's delegates were still counted.

In October 2008, Crist extended early voting hours in Florida. He declared a "state of emergency" because so many people were voting.

Crist in Brazil, 2007

2010 U.S. Senate Campaign

On May 12, 2009, Crist announced he would not run for reelection as governor. Instead, he decided to run for the US Senate. His main opponents were Marco Rubio and Kendrick Meek.

Crist was initially ahead in the Republican primary polls. However, Rubio later gained more support. Crist then decided to run as an independent candidate. He officially changed his party registration in May 2010. He lost the general election, coming in third place.

Time Away from Office (2011–2014)

In January 2011, after his term as governor ended, Crist joined a law firm in Tampa. He worked as a lawyer focusing on large group lawsuits.

In 2013, Crist also did consulting work for a construction company. He also taught part-time at Stetson University College of Law.

In August 2012, Crist supported President Obama's reelection campaign. He stated that the Republican Party had moved too far to the right. On December 7, 2012, Crist announced that he had joined the Democratic Party.

In 2014, Crist wrote a book called The Party's Over: How the Extreme Right Hijacked the GOP and I Became a Democrat. In the book, he explained his reasons for leaving the Republican Party.

2014 Governor Election

On November 1, 2013, Crist announced he would run for governor again as a Democrat. He won the Democratic nomination. However, he was defeated in the general election by the Republican governor, Rick Scott.

Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives

Crist as a member of the U.S. Congress

Elections to Congress

2016 Election

On October 20, 2015, Crist announced he would run for Congress in Florida's 13th district. This was his home district. The district boundaries had changed, making it more favorable for Democrats. The district had been held by Republicans since 1955.

In the general election, Crist defeated the Republican incumbent, David Jolly. Crist became the first Democrat to win this seat in 62 years.

2018 and 2020 Elections

In 2018, Crist was supported by environmental groups. He won a second term with 57% of the vote. He was re-elected to a third term in the 2020 election.

Time in Congress

Crist was sworn into Congress on January 3, 2017. He was part of several groups, including the Blue Dog Coalition and the New Democrat Coalition.

In 2019 and 2021, Crist voted to impeach President Donald Trump. He also introduced a bill to give the Congressional Gold Medal to Officer Eugene Goodman for his bravery during the January 6 United States Capitol attack.

On August 31, 2022, Crist resigned from Congress. He did this to focus on his campaign for governor.

Committees and Groups

While in Congress, Crist served on the Committee on Appropriations. This committee decides how the government spends money. He was also on the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.

He was a member of several caucuses (groups of members with shared interests):

New Democrat Coalition
Blue Dog Coalition
Climate Solutions Caucus
U.S.–Japan Caucus

2022 Governor Election

Crist with his running mate, Karla Hernández-Mats

On May 4, 2021, Crist announced he would run for the Democratic nomination for Governor of Florida. He was running against the current governor, Ron DeSantis. Crist won the primary election on August 23, 2022. His running mate for lieutenant governor was Karla Hernández-Mats. However, Crist was defeated by DeSantis in the general election.

Nomination for Ambassador

On June 7, 2023, the White House announced that President Joe Biden had nominated Crist for a new role. He was nominated to be the United States ambassador to the International Civil Aviation Organization. This is an agency of the United Nations.

Political Views

Cuba Policy

In May 2014, Crist publicly supported ending the United States embargo against Cuba. He believed it had not helped to change the Cuban government. Before this, he had supported the embargo.

In 2019, Crist quietly visited Cuba to meet with Cuban officials. This trip was sponsored by an organization that supports U.S. engagement with Cuba.

Environmental Policy

In June 2008, Crist suggested that Florida buy a large amount of land from a sugar company. The goal was to remove sugar farming from this land to help with Everglades restoration.

In 2007, Crist signed orders to make Florida's air pollution standards stricter. This aimed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. He also supported protecting the environment.

Money and Spending Policies

Crist supported President Obama's economic stimulus plan in 2009. This plan was created to help the economy during the Great Recession. Crist said the plan saved many jobs for Florida schoolteachers.

Voting Rights for Felons

In 2018, Crist wrote that Florida was one of only three states that permanently stopped non-violent former felons from voting. He called this "shameful."

Other Important Issues

As governor, Crist supported capital punishment. He has continued to support it.

After concerns about voting machines, Crist supported laws that would require paper records of all votes. This was to ensure fair elections.

In 2010, Crist vetoed an education bill. This bill would have linked teacher pay to student test scores.

Crist supported more rules for the insurance industry. This included property insurance rates after Hurricane Katrina and health insurance. He signed a law to expand health coverage for autism disorders. He also supported laws to help low-income people get health insurance.

In 2022, Crist opposed repealing the Reedy Creek Improvement Act. He argued it would harm Florida's economy and tourism.

Personal Life

In July 1979, Crist married Amanda Morrow. They divorced within a year.

Crist and his former wife Carole Rome

Crist became engaged to Carole Rome in July 2008. They married in December of that year. In February 2017, Crist announced that he had filed for divorce, which was completed that year.

In 2022, while running for governor, Crist shared that he was engaged to a medical sonographer. He had met her in 2017.

Images for kids

Charlie Crist's signature

Books

The Party's Over: How the Extreme Right Hijacked the GOP and I Became a Democrat (2014)