(Jacob Bruns, Headline USA) Democrat Charlie Crist, the Florida gubernatorial candidate currently locked in a campaign battle with wildly popular incumbent Gov. Ron DeSantis, abruptly resigned his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday, the Gateway Pundit reported.
The former congressman made the announcement in a statement posted on Twitter.
Today, I’m announcing my resignation from Congress. Casework operations will continue under the Office of Florida's 13th Congressional District until newly elected members take office in 2023.
It’s been a privilege to serve Pinellas in Washington. Read my full statement below. pic.twitter.com/z3j5oRLAvT
— Congressman Charlie Crist (@RepCharlieCrist) August 31, 2022
“US Representative Charlie Crist announced that effective close of business today, August 31, he will resign from his position as US Representative for Florida’s 13th Congressional District.,” the statement said.
“Casework operations will continue under the Office of Florida’s 13th Congressional District until newly elected members take office in 2023” the statement continued.
According to the prominent Democrat, he did great work in Congress, and is proud of his achievements.
“When I took office nearly six years ago, I vowed to defend our Veterans, bring jobs to Florida, fight climate change, and put people over politics,” he said.
“As I close out my time in Congress, I could not be prouder of the work we’ve done to uphold those promises.”
After receiving the gubernatorial nod in the Aug. 23 state primary, Crist appears to have withdrawn from the congressional race also.
The Democrat primary for that race was canceled, leaving the incumbent Crist as its defacto candidate initially in a district projected to lean Republican following the state’s redistricting. Eric Lynn, a former Obama Defense Department appointee, will now take on rising GOP star Anna Paulina Luna.
Crist closed out his recent resignation statement by appealing to the people of Florida, whom he slandered last week in a public statement, shortly after securing his party’s gubernatorial nomination.
At that time, Crist attacked a large number of his constituents, expressing disdain for the fact that some of them approve of his GOP rival, DeSantis.
“Those who support him should stay with him and vote for him,” Crist said before attacking them for the hate in their hearts.
“And I don’t want your vote. If you have that hate in your heart, keep it there!” Crist added.
In his rampage he also claimed that he was not interested in gaining the approval of anyone who disagrees with his narrow ideological frame.
“I want the vote of the people of Florida who care about our state,” he said. “Those who are haters, you’re gonna go off in your own world.”
The rant was one of several early missteps made by Crist, who previously was elected as a Republican governor before switching parties and losing a 2010 Senate race to Marco Rubio, followed by a 2014 gubernatorial race to then-incumbent Rick Scott.
Crist, who got his start as a Jeb Bush appointee, made clear in his current campaign that he has gone all-in on the radical left by heaping praises on the the many achievements of President Joe Biden, calling him an “exceptional” president.
Charlie Crist just now: Biden is an “exceptional” president. “Look what he’s done for our country. Look what he’s done for the world.” 🤔
— Christina Pushaw 🐊 🇺🇸 (@ChristinaPushaw) August 24, 2022
He also announced as his running mate the president of a Miami–Dade County teachers union, less than a week after DeSantis-backed candidates swept Florida’s school board races, fueled by parental outrage over classroom indoctrination and grooming.
Headline USA’s Ben Sellers contributed to this report.
