Joe Biden nominates former Florida Rep. Charlie Crist for U.N. position

June 7 (UPI) -- President Joe Biden has nominated former Florida representative and governor Charlie Crist to serve on the United Nations' International Civil Aviation Organization council.

Crist is nominated to serve as a U.S. ambassador on the council. The ICAO is a U.N. agency that supports the development of worldwide civil aviation and sets standards for safety and security in air travel.

Last August, Crist resigned from the House of Representatives to campaign for governor of Florida against Gov. Ron DeSantis. He had previously served a term as governor from 2007 to 2011. Crist received about 3.1 million votes and DeSantis, about 4.6 million.

Crist was elected governor in 2007 as a Republican. He later left the party and became an independent before joining the Democratic Party in 2012. He lost his re-election campaign in 2014 to Republican Rick Scott.

In 2016, Crist was elected to represent Florida in the U.S. House of Representatives.

A press release from the White House credits Crist for his response to the 2008 recession and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010.

"Despite drastic budget shortfalls due to the economic crisis, he made public education a top priority, steering federal stimulus funding to save thousands of teachers' jobs," the press release reads. "He is also a staunch environmental advocate, working at the federal and state levels to help secure billions in public and private aid to restore the Florida Everglades."

If Crist is appointed to the council, he would succeed Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, a retired fighter pilot and former airline pilot known for landing U.S. Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River after both engines were disabled in 2009. Sullenberger was nominated to the position in 2021 and resigned in 2022.