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Politics

Charlie Crist's Fan Makes Breezy Cameo in Campaign Ad

October 3, 2016 - 1:45pm

Wherever Charlie Crist goes, you can bet his beloved fan isn’t too far behind.

Crist’s fans make a cameo appearance in the former Florida governor’s latest campaign ad in his quest to win Florida’s 13th Congressional District.

The ad, released Monday, is an upbeat recollection of random factoids about Crist.

“You know I was your governor, but there’s some things you may not know,” Crist begins. 

Old photos of Crist flash by as he recalls simpler, slightly less political times when his hair was longer and darker and when he was the quarterback of his high school football team. He explains how his father was a local doctor for over 50 years. 

“And yes, I’m a fan of fans,” Crist says as he motions to several fans around him, the electrical appliances which have stood by him through 30 years of different jobs, political ambitions, policy issues, gay marriage and abortion platforms and party affiliations.

Crist’s fan has been a long-running joke in Florida, especially among insiders and political reporters in the Sunshine State. Staffers often spend time situating fans around Crist in public events, either in podiums or at his feet so he doesn’t sweat when he makes public speeches.

But sometimes staffers can’t get the positioning just right, causing Crist to have to situate the fan in the perfect most to his liking.

Crist’s beloved fan rose to prominence the last time he ran for office (for governor) in 2014. During a debate with Gov. Rick Scott, Scott refused to take the stage for six minutes because of the fan. 

It was against the rules, Scott said, and he wouldn’t have any part in any fan whirring just so Crist could be comfortable.

“Are we really going to debate a fan?” Crist asked, his classic, inquisitive yet meek smile cracking ever so slightly.

Scott later joined the debate, thrusting the fan into the national spotlight. The fan become the subject of national attention, the one reliable standby Crist has had in a storied career in Florida politics. The fan even has its own Twitter account, which has gone mostly silent since Crist lost his 2014 gubernatorial campaign.

This year, the fans follow Crist through Pinellas County as he attempts to find yet another job in office. This time, he’s running for U.S. House of Representatives against incumbent David Jolly, who has held the seat since 2014.

Crist avoided officially declaring he would run for the seat until the congressional lines were redistricted. Once the lines were drawn out, CD13 became a Democratic-favored district. With the numbers on his side, Crist dove headfirst into yet another high-profile campaign in his quest to once more become a public servant in his home county in Tampa Bay.

The campaign has already shaped up to be one of the hottest races in the country, with Democrats pouring millions of dollars into campaign ads attacking U.S. Rep. Jolly. 

Jolly, a moderate Republican, may technically be at a disadvantage numerically, but has proven once before he can knock big names in Florida politics off of the congressional hopeful totem pole. In 2014, he cruised to victory over former Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink in CD13, narrowly winning the district with over 48 percent of the vote. 

The general election will be held Nov. 8. 

 

 

Reach reporter Allison Nielsen by email at allison@sunshinestatenews.com or follow her on Twitter: @AllisonNielsen

 

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