Charlie Crist says Florida Democrats have ‘better climate’ to win in 2022
U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist says he’s an optimist. And helping him see the sunny side of things as he runs yet again for Florida governor is a $500,000 donation he says he’s been promised ahead of a November contest against well-funded Republican incumbent Gov. Ron DeSantis.
“It’s just the first one,” Crist said during an interview with the Miami Herald Editorial Board on Friday.
He refused to say who pledged the donation.
DeSantis has so far amassed around $140 million in donations. But Crist, making the case that he’s the Democrat best positioned to beat DeSantis, said “I’m gonna beat him.”
“I am and I don’t care about the money disparity right now,” Crist said.
During the hourlong meeting with the Herald — held one day after facing Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried in the first and only televised Democratic primary debate — Crist made the case for why he thought Democrats could win the governor’s mansion.
Fried has argued that Crist, a former Republican, would “pull down” Democrats on the ballot and cause national donors to write off Florida if he’s elected in the Aug. 23 primary, pointing to the politics of abortion access and his GOP roots as the main reasons. But Crist countered that his experience and his past in the Republican Party are assets in selling his pitch to Florida voters.
And Crist doesn’t think President Joe Biden’s growing unpopularity nationally or the president’s weakened support in Miami-Dade County in the 2020 election will hurt his own campaign in November.
“It’s Charlie Crist’s campaign, not his. I’m a Floridian, he’s not. And so I think the opportunity that we have to win is better. We will be able to have a ground game, which his campaign didn’t because of the pandemic. The Republicans did ‘cause they didn’t care and that made the difference in the race. It’s all different now,” Crist said. “This is a better climate.”
Crist said he’s also in better position to beat DeSantis now than Democrats’ 2018 gubernatorial nominee Andrew Gillum, who was dogged by an FBI investigation during that campaign and ultimately lost the governor’s race by fewer than 33,000 votes. Gillum, who was indicted last month on federal charges, has declared his innocence.
“Four years ago, [DeSantis] got elected by ... 0.4 of 1%. Closest gubernatorial race in the history of our state. And I’ve had close races, but his was closest,” Crist said. “And it was by a guy who, God bless him, very charismatic candidate, but was under FBI investigation the whole time ... and he still almost beat this guy. I don’t think [DeSantis is], you know, Goliath. I really don’t.”
Here’s where Crist said he stands on the issues:
On why he’s running: “Florida deserves better than what we have. I’m terribly disappointed in [DeSantis’] lack of leadership. I think that, you know, to not have an opponent would be appalling. He’s tearing my state apart. ... I think he’s a nightmare.”
On his political evolution: “I am who I’ve always been. My values have never changed. I believe in safe communities. I believe in being decent to other people. I believe in second chances,” Crist said.
He added that the Republican Party has “metastasized” since he was a GOP governor: “I didn’t change, the party changed.”
“I know there are still good Republicans. I don’t want to paint too broad a brush here,” Crist said. “I’m the same guy I’ve been. I care about the same things I’ve cared about my whole life, from my upbringing and my church.”
On abortion: Crist said his views on abortion “have not changed. I’ve always been pro-choice and judge me by my actions.”
Crist said that while he’s identified himself as “pro-life” in the past, he said that doesn’t mean he is against abortion access, a common interpretation of the term. “I don’t accept others’ definition of it. And I’ll leave it at that. I have my definition of it.”
He added that he would sign an executive order on day one “protecting a woman’s right to choose.” He would also pursue a statewide constitutional amendment effort to spell out the right to abortion in the state’s constitution.
On working with a Republican Legislature: “I would employ the carrot approach first, and try to develop relationships with some moderate Republicans in the House and the Senate, break bread with them, perhaps. And if that isn’t successful, then I’ll use the veto pen. And you don’t always have to use it, just the threat of being able to use it can be very effective.”
On legalizing marijuana: Crist said he believes in legalizing recreational marijuana because he thinks it is an important industry to tax and regulate.
“This is a multi-billion-dollar industry. And, you know, to be able to use those resources to help pay teachers more, I think is important. But I would divide it between paying teachers more and supporting law enforcement,” Crist said.
On restoring the Everglades: “Restore it to its natural state. And I was on a path to do that [as governor] until we hit the Great Recession. I was buying land from U.S. Sugar, to restore it to its natural state to take the fertilizer out of it.”
This story was originally published July 22, 2022 at 6:24 PM.
