As Florida Governor, Crist claims he will:

Strengthen property rights by opposing the forced sale of property to private development.

Uphold Florida’s Defense of Marriage Act.

Support fewer taxes, less government and more freedom for small businesses to flourish.

Protect environmental resources and prevent drilling for oil off of Florida’s coast.

Crist Profile:

Charlie Crist was born in Pennsylvania and raised in St. Petersburg, Florida along with three siblings. Crist is a graduate of Florida State University and Cumberland School of Law in Birmingham, Alabama, where he earned his law degree.

Crist began his career in public service as state director for U.S. Senator Connie Mack. In 1992, he won a seat in the Florida Senate, where in six years of service, he served as Chairman of the Senate Ethics and Elections Committee and as Chairman of the Appropriations Criminal Justice Subcommittee. He sponsored legislation that included the Stop Turning Out Prisoners (STOP) bill, which requires prisoners to serve at least 85 percent of their prison sentences.

After his Senate service, Governor Jeb Bush appointed him as Deputy Secretary of the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. In 2000, Crist became Florida’s last elected Commissioner of Education and in 2002, he became Florida’s first elected Republican Attorney General.

Under his watch, the Attorney General’s office has recovered millions of dollars for consumers ripped off by scam artists, prosecuted or sustained the convictions of hundreds of criminals, protected the state’s environmental resources, and worked to combat domestic violence, child abductions, and prevent Medicaid fraud.

Crist has also passed laws to protect Floridians from identity theft and counterfeiting. He also worked to pass the Marvin Davies Civil Rights Act to pursue those who willfully discriminate against others. Attorney General Crist has also won approval for legislation targeting those who distribute illegal spam on the Internet. He’s also taken a strong stance against price gougers, imposing harsh penalties against those who prey upon Floridians during a crisis.