| Charlie Crist |
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Crist entered state politics representing parts of St. Petersburg in the Florida Senate , where he became best known for his support of Chain Gang s for state prison inmates, earning him the nickname "Chain Gang Charlie." He became well-known in state politics in 1998, when after nearly six years in the Senate, he challenged popular incumbent US Senator Bob Graham for his seat, but lost by a margin of around 26%. Following this loss, in 1999 he was appointed by Governor Jeb Bush as Deputy Secretary of the Deparment of Business and Professional Regulation. He then ran for and was elected to the office of Education Commissioner of Florida in the November 2000 election, in which capacity he served from 2001 until 2003, when the office was eliminated in accordance with a 1998 constitutional amendment, and all responsibilites turned over to the appointed Secretary of Education. Crist, however, had by that time already won the attorney general's position. In May 2005 Crist announced his candidacy to succeed Bush in the 2006 Florida Gubernatorial Election . Crist's qualifications to be attorney general were challenged during the 2002 election, when it was revealed that he had failed the state case strongly criticized Crist when he did not attempt further legal action to keep Schiavo alive, or use his powers to investigate her missing Department of Children and Families file. America's Most Wanted host John Walsh has supported Crist's candidacy, publicly filing Crist's gubernatorial candidacy paperwork, citing his work with the Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The latest of his controversial stands has been to stop defending State correction officers in a lawsuit by 10 imates due to the officers' refusal to answer questions on their Steroid use. Charlie Crist was born in 1956 in Altoona, Pennsylvania, later moving to St. Petersburg, Florida , where he attended St. Petersburg High School . During his time in state politics he has remained visible in hometown. He went on to attend Wake Forest University , where he played quarterback, but received his undergraduate degree from Florida State University . He received his Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from the Cumberland School Of Law in Alabama.While the Florida media has reported on the existence of unsubstantiated but loud rumors regarding the divorced Crist's sexual preference, he has now stated repeatedly that he is heterosexual. {Link without Title} Morgan, Lucy (May 21, 2005). "Lobbyists Warily Pick Horses in 2006 Race." ''St. Petersburg Times'', pp. 1B. FUND RAISING Crist currently leads all candidates in fundraising, but has not been immune to controversy. One of Crist's backers has been real estate mogul Donald Trump , whose guests at a Crist fundraiser included a former Ukrainian official in the country illegally, and the owner of a company under investigation by Crist's office. Crist later returned the donations from the companies under investigation, while the Ukrianian official's fee was paid by another guest. Further controversy set in, however, with ethics complaints against Crist and his chief of staff for failing to investigate a major donor, personnel firm Convergys, that has been plagued by lawsuits and jail sentences for its role in failing to adequately protect the social security numbers of state employees. Crist has raised $6.9 million for his campaign to date, $1.5 million of which came in the most recent reported quarter. Within traditional Republican Party ranks these donations have mainly been from mid-pyramid level donators in place of traditional big-dollar party elite. GUBERNATORIAL PLATFORM According to his campaign website and public pronouncements, Crist would take the following positions as governor:
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