Rep. Charlie Crist, former governor of Florida, announces bid for old job

Rep. Charlie Crist announces run against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Rep. Charlie Crist, D-Fla., announced Tuesday morning his intent to return to the governor's mansion -- his second attempt at the office since leaving it in 2011. He's the first official challenger facing Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. Crist was the Republican governor of Florida from 2007 to 2011 before switching his party registration to Independent in 2010. He became a Democrat in 2012 and has been in Congress representing Florida's 13th Congressional District since 2017. "We'll treat those that disagree with us today, as our allies of tomorrow, not our enemies," Crist said at an event announcing his run Tuesday. "There's too little decency and civility in Florida's politics, frankly in America's politics, and changing that starts with changing the attitude at the top. Unlike this governor and the Republican leadership in Tallahassee, we will listen to our fellow Floridians." "Governor DeSantis and the leaders of the Republican Party have simply lost touch with what regular Floridians need and truly care about," he added.