Charlie Crist to Run for Senate from Florida as Independent

By: Stephanie Condon
Topics: In The News ,; Republicans ,; Campaign 2010 ,; State Politics

Updated at 7 p.m. ET

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist announced today that he will run for the Senate without party affiliation, forgoing a bid for the GOP nomination.

His much-anticipated decision "in many ways says more about our nation and our state than it does about me," Crist said today. "Unfortunately, our political system is broken."

Voters are tired of gridlock and partisanship, said Crist, who has been under the scrutiny of conservatives in the Republican party.

Crist's announcement sets up a three-way race for the Florida Senate seat, leaving the GOP nomination open for Marco Rubio, the former Florida House speaker. As an independent candidate, Crist has some prospect of beating Rubio and the presumed Democratic candidate, Rep. Kendrick Meek.

Polls indicated, however, that Rubio would have defeated Crist in the Aug. 24 GOP primary. Republicans quickly lined up behind Rubio after Crist's announcement.

"Marco is an emerging star who represents limited government, lower taxes, and free markets, and we are confident he will be the next United States Senator from Florida," Republican leaders in the Senate said in a joint statement released after Crist made his independent bid official.

Who runs for the Senate is "not one club's decision or another," Crist said. "It is a decision for all the people of Florida to make, and so that's why we go straight to November."

Rubio rose in the polls with the support of the Tea Party and conservative leaders in the Republican party, overshadowing the once-dominant Crist. The governor's popularity sunk among Florida Republicans after conservatives zeroed in on his support for President Obama's stimulus package.

"I've made some tough decisions as your governor," he said, "but I've done them because I think it's what's right for the people."

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In their statement today, Republican Senate leaders said Crist initially won the endorsement of the National Republican Senatorial Committee on a promise to represent the party "with principled conservative leadership."

"Quite simply, he did not keep his word," they said. "The question for Floridians is whether he will keep his word about all of the new promises he makes. Elections are about trust and frankly, it is unclear whether Governor Crist deserves any."

Former Republican Florida Gov. Jeb Bush also criticized Crist, saying he was not surprised by the announcement, CBS News Chief Political Consultant Marc Ambinder reports.

"This decision is not about policy or principles," Bush said. "It is about what he believes is in his political self-interest."

Crist acknowledged today he was entering "unchartered territory."

"I am aware after this speech ends I don't have either party helping me," he said. "But I need you helping me more than ever."

Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine released a statement attacking Republicans for rejecting moderates like Crist.

"Over the past year, the GOP has been purging members who fail to embrace the far right-wing extremist views of the Tea Party, and it has made clear that it will no longer accept officials who attempt to work across the aisle or even consider putting their country before their party's ideology," he said.

Kaine praised Meek for working while, he said, Crist and Rubio were "bickering over luxury spending by the Republican Party of Florida and debating who is more conservative." Rubio and the Florida GOP are reportedly under federal investigation for expenses put on party credit cards.

Crist still has $7 million in the bank for his campaign, Ambinder reports.

Stephanie Condon
Stephanie Condon is a political reporter for CBSNews.com.
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by babooph May 3, 2010 4:50 AM EDT: Any indy will get my vote against the republicrats.....; Reply to this comment


by CHReed April 30, 2010 12:13 PM EDT: I think we are beginning to see a prime example of the law of unexpected consequences. The unprecedented partisanship displayed especially by the ultraconservative end of the Republican party, but also to a great extent by the liberal side of the democratic party is about to allow the emergence of true independents on the national political scene. I do believe that the GOP thought and thinks that by feeding the Tea Party hysteria we have see this past year that they would regain both the Congress and the Whitehouse. Intead what is happening is that most Americans, disgusted with the rancorous partisanship demonstrated over the last few years may begin voting, enmasse for true moderates who are happy and willing to work across party lines. Charlie Crist is one of those moderates. I have not voted for him in the past but I fully expect to cast my ballot for him in November.; Reply to this comment


by Palin_for_Presidentess April 30, 2010 10:39 AM EDT: Yay! I'm going to load-up a bus full of illegal immigrants to go down to fraudulently vote for Charlie.; Reply to this comment


by pr_boxer April 30, 2010 10:09 AM EDT: That noise you hear is the GOP breaking apart, the Right Wingers have gone too far, realistic Republicans like Charlie Crist can no longer stomach the hate filled rhetoric.; Reply to this comment


by rwassel April 30, 2010 9:52 AM EDT: I think it's pretty funny that people think that the Republicans are just "purging" RINO's (i.e. people that don't fall lockstep in with the right-wing side of the party).

At least the Democrats have the Blue Dogs, a sizable group of politicians that are moderately conservative. You don't see them being purged, do you?; Reply to this comment


by rwassel April 30, 2010 9:50 AM EDT: Man - the Repubs are shrinking the size of their tent even faster than I expected. Between this, the immigration bill in Arizona, the fact that the number of minorities is growing, while the number of whites is shrinking, and the number of college educated people is growing, whoo boy - looks pretty grim.; Reply to this comment

by SueZeeeQue April 30, 2010 8:06 AM EDT

This will happen again and again as the Republican party moves further and further to the radical right.

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by 1American April 30, 2010 9:37 AM EDT: Not to worry, the republican party is just purging the RINO's.


by rwassel April 30, 2010 9:47 AM EDT: Intersting word - purging. Sounds a little violent. Sounds a little militant. Sounds a little...Nazi-esque?


by antoniof123 April 30, 2010 7:06 AM EDT: " Crist said today. "Unfortunately, our political system is broken."

Yes Charlie, and I have to be honest you played along with it too. I think now people like you are seeing why Jefferson was so brilliant, when he formed the Democratic Republicans he formed them with a purpose to keep the country united with moderates both liberal and conservatives. Now the Republicans have moved so far to the right and taken many moderates with them that there is nothing left.

In the end the reactionary crowd will lose they will cause panic, fear, and hate but they will lose because just like the Senator he appointed he was at first like Charlie a moderate now he is a wing nut reactionary and is of no use to the Florida voter.

Christ will lose so the the Republican and the Democrat who would have lost to Christ will win most likely the Governor will go to the Democrats as well.

Have a nice day.; Reply to this comment


by petesis April 29, 2010 11:18 PM EDT: Bravo to Charlie. As a Floridian, I am glad those half wits on the far right are not going to be able to hijack the whole state (Arizona comes to mind) by driving the moderates out of their party. I will be voting for the Governor. He was an effective governor. Georgia and Alabama and Mississippi have had troubles with the recession due to their intrasigence on the stimulus money. The right wing loons consider it a moral sin to have taken that money. The Tea Party is nothing but a bunch of people that voted two times for President Bush. Now they are outraged? I hope this puts them in their place but they have a huge sense of entitlement.; Reply to this comment


by formrusmcsgt April 29, 2010 11:14 PM EDT: His much-anticipated decision "in many ways says more about our nation and our state than it does about me," Crist said today. "Unfortunately, our political system is broken."
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Boy howdy, is there a HUGE ststement there or what?

Crist basically said the GOP has gone to a place where one of it's more popular governors no longer has a seat.; Reply to this comment