Crist kicks off Florida gubernatorial bid as Democrat

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Nov. 4 (UPI) -- Former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist held his first gubernatorial campaign event as a Democrat Monday where he was embraced by his new party colleagues.

Crist, a moderate Republican who left the governor's mansion to wage a campaign for U.S. Senate only to be defeated by the Tea Party-backed Marco Rubio in the Republican primary and again while running as an independent in the general election, said GOP Gov. Rick Scott's pledge to serve as an outside protector in Tallahassee hasn't been kept, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

"He went from taking over Tallahassee to becoming the example of what's wrong with the place," Crist said during his campaign kickoff. "The more I watched Rick Scott govern ... and the more I heard from you the people, I knew it was time to take Florida in a better direction. So today, I announce that I am running for governor of Florida."

It had been documented that Crist was courting the state's top Democratic fundraisers and national party figures to gain support for his bid. He actually made it official Friday with a campaign filing to run as a Democrat, making Monday's announcement in Crist hometown of St. Petersburg little more than a formality.

Crist, who enjoyed strong approval ratings through much of his term, was embraced by some of the Sunshine State's Democratic establishment. He was introduced by U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, a Tampa Democrat, who endorsed Crist's return bid.

"We can put our trust in a man who relates to all of us," Castor said.