TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) ? Charlie Crist, who was elected as the governor of Florida as a Republican and then ran unsuccessfully for the Senate as an independent, has announced that he is switching to the Democratic Party.
The announcement, made Friday night via Twitter, prompted speculation that Mr. Crist would seek to regain his old job in 2014 from Florida?s current governor, Rick Scott, a Republican.
Mr. Crist sent out a message that said, ?Proud and honored to join the Democratic Party in the home of President @BarackObama!?
The post included a photo of a smiling Mr. Crist with his wife, Carole, as he held up a Florida voter registration application. The Tampa Bay Times reported that Mr. Crist signed the papers changing his party affiliation during a Christmas reception at the White House. President Obama greeted the news with a fist bump.
Mr. Crist said his reasons for switching parties included the Republican Party?s shift to the right on a range of issues.
Mr. Crist, 56, was elected to the governor?s post in 2006. As he moved to run for the Senate in 2010, he faced a tough primary challenge from the right, and he left the Republican Party to run as an independent. He lost a three-way Senate contest in 2010 to Marco Rubio, a Republican.
Mr. Crist spoke at this year?s Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., and campaigned for Mr. Obama?s re-election. He may now decide to challenge Mr. Scott, who has struggled with low favorability ratings since taking office.
But it is unlikely that Mr. Crist would get a clear path to the Democratic nomination. Nan Rich, a former state senator, has already jumped into the Democratic race, and Alex Sink, the state?s former chief financial officer, could run as well. Ms. Sink barely lost the 2010 governor?s race to Mr. Scott.
Some Democrats are wary of Mr. Crist. The Florida Democratic Party chairman, Rod Smith, has joked that just because someone joins the congregation, ?you don?t make them the preacher.?
Steve Schale, a Democratic political consultant who worked on Mr. Obama?s Florida campaign, called Mr. Crist a ?viable Democrat.?
?He earned his stripes when he supported the president,? Mr. Schale said.
In recent weeks, Republicans have increased their criticism of Mr. Crist and have pointed out that he had been critical of Mr. Obama and once described himself as a Republican in the mold of former President Ronald Reagan and Mr. Crist?s predecessor as governor, Jeb Bush.
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