Encyclopedia · Biography
Charlie Crist
American politician and former Florida governor and congressman
Personal details
- Full name
- Charlie Joseph Crist Jr.
- Born
- July 1956 · Altoona, Pennsylvania; federal and governors’ offices report different days
- Parents
- Father Charles Crist Sr.; mother Nancy Lee Crist (secondary genealogy; privately qualified)
- Education
- St. Petersburg High School (1974); Wake Forest University (attended); Florida State University, B.A. (1978); Cumberland School of Law, J.D. (1981)
- Political parties
- Republican (until 2010); Independent (2010–2012); Democratic (from 2012)
- Spouses
- Amanda Morrow (divorced); Carole Rome (m. 2008, divorce proceedings reported 2017)
- Profession
- Attorney in private practice, political staff
- Public service
- Florida Senate (1993–1999); attorney general (2003–2007); governor (2007–2011); U.S. House (2017–2022)
Charlie Joseph Crist Jr. (born 1956) is an American attorney and politician who served as governor of Florida, later represented the state in Congress and changed his party affiliation during his career.
Family, education and legal work
Crist was born in Altoona, Pennsylvania and raised in St. Petersburg, Florida. He attended Wake Forest University, earned a bachelor’s degree from Florida State University in 1978 and a law degree from Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law in 1981. He worked as an attorney and for U.S. Senator Connie Mack before taking statewide office.
Florida political offices
Crist was a Florida state senator from 1993 to 1999, an education commissioner and attorney general, and was elected governor in 2006. His governorship ran from 2007 through 2011. His policy record included education funding, environmental issues and emergency response to the 2010 Gulf oil spill.
2010 election and subsequent party changes
Crist initially sought the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in 2010 and competed with Marco Rubio. After Rubio gained support among Republican primary voters, Crist left the party and ran in the general election as an independent; Rubio won. Crist later joined the Democratic Party, was elected to Congress in 2016 and served until August 2022. He unsuccessfully sought the governorship again in 2022.
Personal record
The National Governors Association identifies a first marriage to Amanda Morrow that ended in divorce and a later marriage to Carole Rome. Associated Press reported that Crist sought divorce from Rome in 2017; the court judgment’s date is not verified in the current research set.
References
Research compiled through November 12, 2026. Sources and historical roles are dated where known.