Former Florida Governor Charlie Crist is running for Congress. He’s trying to revive his political career after losing his last two statewide campaigns.
Crist, a Republican-turned Democrat, stunned his former party when he decided not to run for re-election as governor, and jumped into the U.S. Senate race. Crist had been the front-runner, but lost ground to Marco Rubio, who won the seat. In 2014 Crist tried to get his old job back by challenging Governor Rick Scott—but narrowly lost after being out-spent by Scott.
Now he’s running for a job in the U.S. House of Representatives. Florida’s ongoing redistricting saga is giving Crist a stronger shot at winning. The shifting lines are placing St. Petersburg into one district—giving it a more Democratic tilt.
The seat is now held by Republican Rep. David Jolly, but Jolly is running for U.S. Senate—mostly because the new configuration of the district doesn’t favor Republicans.