ABOVE: Charlie Crist (C) and supporters at St Pete Pride 2022. Photo via Crist’s Facebook.
ST. PETERSBURG | Equality Florida Action PAC endorsed Charlie Crist for governor Sept. 1, citing the former congressman’s longtime support of the LGBTQ community.
As the political arm of the state’s largest LGBTQ civil rights organization, the PAC is dedicated to electing pro-equality candidates in Florida. They raised $70,000 of their $100,000 goal within 24 hours to help elect Crist and Karla Hernandez, his pick for lieutenant governor.
Crist represented Florida’s 13th congressional district from 2017 until his resignation Aug. 31, calling it “an honor and a privilege.” He won the Democratic nomination for governor Aug. 23, setting him up to challenge Gov. Ron DeSantis Nov. 8.
As a member of Congress, Crist served as a vice chair of the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus while championing LGBTQ legislation and causes. On the campaign trail, he’s vocally opposed the DeSantis administration’s actions against LGBTQ Floridians.
In a statement, Equality Florida Action PAC Chair Stratton Pollitzer said that’s why “the LGBTQ community is all in” for the candidate.
“Charlie Crist’s resounding primary victory has given him tremendous momentum with polls much closer than many people realize. We are going to do all we can to stop Ron DeSantis’ extremist policies,” he said in a statement. “Pro-equality Floridians are energized to elect Charlie Crist and end DeSantis’ all-out war on public education, his government mandated intrusion into our medical decisions and his efforts to whitewash history.
“Charlie Crist is a proven champion of LGBTQ equality and exactly the person we need right now to make our state a place where everyone is treated with fairness and respect – at school, at their doctor’s office, at work and in their community,” he added.
Ahead of Crist’s victory in the primary, he released his plan to protect LGBTQ Floridians. The campaign advised it was formed in response to DeSantis’ “ongoing attacks on Florida’s LGBTQ+ community with the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law attacking LGBTQ+ youth, his administration’s attack on trans health care and his devil-may-care attitude toward the Monkeypox and meningococcal disease outbreaks.”
“I’m honored to have earned the support of Equality Florida in our campaign’s fight against Ron DeSantis,” Crist responded to the PAC’s endorsement.
“Make no mistake, our LGBTQ+ community and its allies are under attack by this governor,” he continued. “That ends this November. The people deserve a champion back in Tallahassee. Someone who will listen to them, respect them, and fight for them – I vow to be that governor.”
Crist shared the news via social media as well, seen below.
“Polling shows the race tight, with a clear path to victory for the Crist Campaign,” Equality Florida Action PAC also noted. “In the first polling conducted following last week’s primary, DeSantis leads Charlie Crist by only 5 points, within the margin of error for the poll … These results are the latest reminder that Florida remains the nation’s largest swing state and a serious test of the governor’s destructive brand of politics.”
The general election will be held Nov. 8. Check your registration and more at Vote.org. For more information about Charlie Crist’s campaign or Equality Florida Action PAC, visit CharlieCrist.com and EQFLPAC.org.
