Charlie Crist, American lawyer and politician, 44th Governor of Florida
Charles Joseph Crist Jr. (; born July 24, 1956) is an American lawyer and politician who has served as the U.S. representative from Florida's 13th congressional district since 2017. The district is based in St. Petersburg. He served as the 44th governor of Florida from 2007 to 2011.
Crist began his political career as a Republican, serving in the Florida Senate from 1993 to 1999, running unsuccessfully against incumbent Bob Graham for the U.S. Senate in 1998 and then serving as Florida Education Commissioner from 2001 to 2003 and Florida Attorney General from 2003 to 2007, before being elected governor in 2006.
While still governor, Crist ran for a U.S. Senate seat. After initially leading in the 2010 race for the Republican nomination, Crist was overtaken in the polls by Marco Rubio when the state GOP committee decided not to fund his reelection bid, and in April 2010 Crist left the Republican Party to run as an independent. In the general election, he lost to Rubio in a three-way race, taking 30% of the vote to Rubio's 49% and Democratic nominee Kendrick Meek's 20%. Crist's term as governor ended in January 2011.
On December 7, 2012, Crist joined the Democratic Party, having endorsed President Barack Obama for reelection in 2012. On November 1, 2013, he announced that he was running for governor in the 2014 election. He was defeated by Governor Rick Scott, Crist's successor, by a 1% margin. In 2016, Crist was elected to Congress from his home district, the 13th, defeating incumbent Republican David Jolly, 52%–48% and became the first Democrat to represent this district since 1955. As of the 117th Congress, Crist is the only former governor serving in the House.
Crist is a candidate for the Democratic Party's nomination in the 2022 Florida gubernatorial election.
1956Jul, 24
Charlie Crist
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Events on 1956
- 26Jul
Suez Crisis
Following the World Bank's refusal to fund building the Aswan Dam, Egyptian leader Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalizes the Suez Canal, sparking international condemnation. - 17Oct
Bobby Fischer
Donald Byrne and Bobby Fischer play a famous chess game called The Game of the Century. Fischer beat Byrne and wins a Brilliancy prize. - 23Oct
Hungarian Revolution of 1956
Thousands of Hungarians protest against the government and Soviet occupation. (The Hungarian Revolution is crushed on November 4). - 4Nov
Hungarian Revolution of 1956
Soviet troops enter Hungary to end the Hungarian revolution against the Soviet Union, that started on October 23. Thousands are killed, more are wounded, and nearly a quarter million leave the country. - 12Nov
Sudan
Morocco, Sudan and Tunisia join the United Nations.