Charlie Crist taking campaign back to North Florida, ‘where it all began’

Charlie Crist goes to the head of the class.

North Florida, “where it all began” for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist, is no longer prime Democratic territory, but Crist is making his last appeals there this week before the Primary. The events are the next stops Crist’s 10-day “Hope for Florida” tour, which kicked off Aug. 13 in South Florida.

He’ll be in Madison on Monday afternoon, “joining local grassroots supporters and community members” for an early voting event. Crist then heads to Tallahassee for a meeting with leaders of faith from throughout the state at the Faith Leaders Council meeting.

Stumping for votes in North Florida was an early emphasis of his campaign.

“I think it’s important to realize if you want to be the Governor of the people of this state, you got to go to them,” Crist said to Jacksonville television affiliate WJXT at the time. “You got to look them in the eye. You got to explain why you’re doing this, why in your heart you think it’s right, that I think it’s right because I know Florida deserves better.”

Over the weekend, Crist appeared in Aventura with state Rep. Joe Geller and Aventura Mayor Enid Weisman, then joined North Miami Councilwoman Kassandra Timothe at an early voting event in North Miami. He wrapped up his Saturday in Miami Gardens with state Reps. Felicia Robinson and Christopher Benjamin for an early voting event with local residents, before closing it out at Miami-Dade NAACP’s Dr. Shirley B. Johnson Membership Appreciation Picnic.

“Our campaign is building the strongest movement to defeat Ron DeSantis, and it’s everyday Floridians who are at the forefront of this fight,” Crist said in a statement when announcing the tour. “Whether it’s protecting a woman’s right to choose, improving public schools, or delivering a more affordable Florida — we know what’s at stake this November.”

He continued, “We will leave no community behind and no stone unturned. Together, we can and will defeat Gov. DeSantis, and create a Florida that works for all Floridians.”

A recent St. Pete Polls survey showed Crist with a significant lead over Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried in the Primary. A poll Fried’s campaign commissioned found that 23% of Democrats were “not sure” who they would support.

Since launching his campaign in May 2021, Crist raised more than $14 million through the end of July. He also received an endorsement from the state’s largest labor union and earned support from nearly 200 elected officials and community leaders. That includes a recent nod from Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, who called Crist “the leader this moment calls for.”