Charles Joseph "Charlie" Crist, Jr. (born July 24, 1956) is an American politician of the Republican Party and the current Governor of Florida. He was born in Altoona, Pennsylvania, and moved to St. Petersburg, Florida, at age 4.

A graduate of Florida State University, Crist has served as a state education commissioner, a member of the Florida State Senate, and had unsuccessfully sought to replace U.S. senator Bob Graham. He was elected Florida Attorney General in 2002, and held that office until his election as governor. As attorney general, he was noted for his efforts to expand the authority of his office to prosecute civil rights violations and protect the environment, as well as his involvement in the Terri Schiavo case, where he broke with governor Jeb Bush on pursuing legal options to preserve her life.

He was elected governor in 2006 with 52.4% of the vote (against opponent Jim Davis), and has taken conservative positions on a broad range of social issues, including support for gun rights and capital punishment and opposition to gay marriage and gay adoption. He has diverged from Republican orthodoxy on fiscal management and environmental policy, particularly while working with the Obama administration on the federal stimulus package, opposing some forms of offshore oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and using state funds to purchase land in an effort to restore the Florida Everglades. He has also been credited with fostering better relationships with minority communities, particularly the African-American community.