Charlie Crist, the former Republican governor of Florida who became a pariah in his party when he ran for the Senate as an independent, formally endorsed President Obama on Sunday.
“President Obama has a strong record of doing what is best for America and Florida, and he built it by spending more time worrying about what his decisions would mean for the people than for his political fortunes,†Mr. Crist wrote in a column in The Tampa Bay Times. “That's what makes him the right leader for our times, and that's why I'm proud to stand with him today.â€
Lenny Curry, the chairman of the Florida Republican Party, said in a statement that Mr. Crist was “trying to shed his skin for a political comeback.â€
“Despite the threat Florida is facing from a severe storm, Charlie Crist has demonstrated, yet again, that his political ambition will always come before the needs of Floridians,†Mr. Curry said.
