Jacob Ogles
Democratic congressional candidate Alan Cohn picked up the endorsement of Charlie Crist, a Pinellas Congressman and Democratic candidate for Governor.
The support comes as Cohn runs for an open seat representing Florida’s 15th Congressional District.
“I am proud to earn Charlie Crist’s endorsement. Our campaign has what it takes to win this swing seat in November,” Cohn said. “We have the message, the momentum, the money, and the support of so many of Florida’s leaders. FL-15’s District deserves a Congressman who will work tirelessly to deliver for our district, and that’s exactly what we will do.”
The support from Crist means Cohn now has the backing of the current Democratic members of Congress already serving Tampa Bay. Rep. Kathy Castor endorsed Cohn last month.
He also has the support of Reps. Lois Frankel and Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Democrats representing districts in South Florida. The support from Wasserman Schultz is especially important as she co-Chairs the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s candidate recruitment arm, potentially connecting Cohn to donors across the country.
The Crist endorsement came a day after Cohn announced he had raised more than $100,000 in the first two weeks since announcing his campaign.
Cohn has quickly established himself as a top Democrat running for the seat. He won the Democratic nomination in CD 15 in 2020. He ultimately lost to Republican Scott Franklin, but after redistricting, Franklin filed for re-election in the neighboring Florida’s 18th Congressional District.
This year, Cohn faces four other Democrats for the nomination: political consultant Gavin Brown, video producer Eddie Geller, veteran Cesar Ramirez and contractor Bill VanHorn.
The winner of the Democratic nomination will still go into the general election at a disadvantage. The district is one of the most divided in the state, but Republicans still hold an edge, with 50.86% of voters under new lines having voted for Republican Donald Trump in the 2020 election and 47.74% supporting Democrat Joe Biden.
