JACKSONVILLE, Florida — Charlie Crist (D-FL) has downplayed speculation his bid to become Florida‘s governor again is in turmoil after campaign manager Austin Durrer announced he was leaving the team to focus on a family matter.
“Not at all. Not at all,” Crist told reporters in Jacksonville, Florida, on Thursday after an appearance with Democratic National Committee chairman Jaime Harrison.
Durrer was replaced with Sydney Throop earlier in the day, three weeks before the Nov. 8 election.
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Crist, who gave up his Gulf Coast House seat near Tampa to challenge Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), projected confidence about his chances, despite polling an average between 8 and 10 percentage points behind the potential Republican 2024 presidential candidate.
Crist insisted he was not concerned by DeSantis’s $100 million fundraising advantage. DeSantis and the Republican Party have spent $44 million on TV advertisements to date, not including free media the incumbent has received since Hurricane Ian, according to AdImpact. In comparison, Crist and the Florida Democratic Party have spent $44 million, most of which was doled out during the primary.
“You do the best you can with what you’ve got. That’s exactly what we’re doing,” he said. “We’re within striking distance of this guy and I’m delighted about that.”
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Crist pointed to next week’s only debate between the pair as an opportunity to pitch himself to the public, which is already familiar with him.
“Now it really is up to turnout and what happens in the next 19 days in terms of getting out the vote, exciting the base, and making sure people understand what’s at stake in this election,” he said. “That’s why I think Monday night’s so important to talk about the truth about what is at stake in this election in Florida and for the country.”
