Rep. Charlie Crist announced he is resigning from Congress on Wednesday as the Florida Democrat ramps up his campaign to unseat GOP Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Crist, a former Republican who served as Florida’s governor from 2007 to 2011, thanked his constituents in a statement posted to Twitter, saying, “These achievements start and end with you, the people — my bosses — who have guided my work in Congress since Day One.”
The St. Petersburg-area seat will remain open until the November election.
REPUBLICANS SOFTEN MIDTERM MESSAGING ON ABORTION
Crist recently edged out Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried in the primary to be the Democratic nominee in the gubernatorial race.
Crist was first elected to Florida’s 13th Congressional District in 2016, unseating former GOP Rep. Dave Jolly.
He unsuccessfully attempted to unseat Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) running as an independent in 2010 and launched another gubernatorial bid as a Democrat against former Gov. Rick Scott (R-FL), a race he narrowly lost.
The Florida Democrat announced his decision to challenge DeSantis prior to the new redistricting maps being released, which would have placed him in a slightly more red-leaning seat.
Crist has largely voted by proxy since announcing his gubernatorial bid. His resignation will allow him to ramp up his fundraising efforts as he faces off against DeSantis, who has accumulated a massive war chest.
Nonpartisan political handicapper Cook Political Report has rated the race as “leans Republican,” and recent polling shows DeSantis with a 5-percentage-point lead.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Trump-endorsed Republican Anna Paulina Luna, an Air Force veteran, is facing former Obama administration official Eric Lynn to represent the district in the general election.
His resignation is effective at the end of the day on Wednesday.
While Democrats picked up a seat in the New York special election, the party faces a narrow majority with 219 Democrats and 211 Republicans. The outcome of the special election in Alaska, which could provide Democrats with a pickup, and the resignation of Rep. Ted Deutch (D-FL), slated to take place on Oct. 1, will also affect the party’s margins in the lower chamber.
