PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – Of the three leading Democrats looking to unseat Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Charlie Crist is ahead in fundraising and racking up endorsements.
Last week, that included the backing of Florida public school teachers.
The congressman from St. Petersburg is, of course, a former governor of Florida, as well as a onetime state senator, Florida Attorney General and Education Commissioner.
He held all those roles as a Republican, until he turned independent and then became a Democrat in 2012.
Crist’s opponents for the Democratic nomination bring up his past record as a Republican, when he supported school choice and vouchers, and gun rights.
Florida’s recently passed laws governing education telegraph that school-related issues will be among the biggest and most contentious this campaign season.
The full conversation between Crist and This Week in South Florida co-host Glenna Milberg can be seen at the top of this page.