Charlie Crist Confirms He's Running for Florida Governor in 2014 as a Democrat

Ex-Florida GOP Gov. Charlie Crist confirmed to NBC 6 that he filed paperwork Friday to be a Democratic candidate for governor in 2014.

"We’re making an official announcement Monday in St. Petersburg," Crist said in a telephone interview.

The announcement is set for Monday at 9:30 a.m. at Albert Whitted Park in downtown St. Petersburg, he said. Crist added that he would save any additional comments for Monday.

The Florida Division of Elections website now lists him as a Democratic candidate for governor in 2014. Click here to read his campaign documents.

Crist, who had been Florida governor from 2007 to 2011, is hoping to revive a political career that seemingly crashed when he left the GOP and lost an independent run for U.S. Senate to Republican Marco Rubio in 2010.

Crist lost and took a job with the Morgan & Morgan personal injury law firm. He then began re-emerging in politics as a Democrat. His wife, Carole, registered as a Democrat first. He then began donating money to Democratic candidates, including Sen. Bill Nelson. He endorsed President Barack Obama over Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and campaigned heavily for the president. In December, he made the party conversion complete when he tweeted a photo of himself at the White House with his voter registration card.

Crist has been building up to an announcement for months, talking to Democratic groups and campaigning with Democratic candidates.

Crist already has a website, and in a video on the site, he said he was the people's governor during his time in office.

”I'm an optimist but let's face it, the past few years have been tough, government on the fringes, donors in politics above you the people. You've seen the attacks – against full-time working people and their health care, against women and their doctors, against teachers, public schools and college affordability, and even against the simple act of casting your vote. It’s not working,” Crist said in the video.

His speeches recently have criticized Republican Gov. Rick Scott. Scott's political committee has already bought anti-Crist ads to begin airing the day of the announcement.

According to WESH, most polls show Crist would defeat Scott head to head, but the margin depends on the poll.

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