Charlie Crist
A former Republican governor of Florida who switched parties twice, his career became a barometer of the state's shifting political climate.
Born 1956 (age 70)·American politician·Birthday: July 24·Baby Boomers
Biography
Charlie Crist's political journey mirrors Florida's own sun-bleached, unpredictable landscape. Elected as a conservative Republican 'Chain Gang Charlie' in the 1990s, he cultivated an image of affable accessibility, always in an open collar and tan. His single term as governor was marked by a centrist, pragmatic approach, including a notable embrace of environmental issues and a widely praised response to the 2008 economic crisis. But as the Republican Party shifted rightward, Crist found himself adrift. In a dramatic 2010 Senate race, he abandoned the GOP to run as an independent, a move that ultimately ended in defeat. After joining the Democratic Party, he mounted a comeback, winning a congressional seat and later challenging his Republican successor, Ron DeSantis, for the governorship. His career is less about ideological purity than an enduring, resilient desire to be in the arena, adapting to the electorate's changing tides.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Charlie was born in 1956, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Charlie Was Born
The biggest hits of 1956
#1 Movie
The Ten Commandments
Best Picture
Around the World in 80 Days
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Charlie's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1956Born
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1961Started school
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1969Became a teenager
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1972Could drive
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1974Could vote
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Turned 21
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1986Turned 30
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 40
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 50
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 60
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 70
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as the 44th Governor of Florida from 2007 to 2011, overseeing the state's response to the Great Recession and pushing for Everglades restoration.
- Previously held all three of Florida's statewide elected offices: Attorney General, Education Commissioner, and U.S. Senator (having been appointed to fill a vacancy).
- Won election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2016 as a Democrat, representing Florida's 13th congressional district for three terms.
- As Governor, extended early voting hours in 2008, a decision credited with increasing voter turnout in a pivotal presidential election year.
Did You Know?
He is known for almost never wearing a necktie, a signature style choice throughout his political career.
Crist was the first Republican governor of Florida to endorse the federal economic stimulus package in 2009.
He is a convert to the Episcopal Church, having been raised Roman Catholic.
During his 2014 gubernatorial campaign as a Democrat, he selected a former Republican, Annette Taddeo, as his running mate for Lieutenant Governor.
“I've always tried to do what I thought was right for the people, regardless of party.”
