Former Gov. Charlie Crist has been nominated for an ambassador level position with the Biden administration.
Crist, who lost his bid to reclaim the Governor’s Mansion in November to Gov. Ron DeSantis, has been nominated as the next U.S. Ambassador to the International Civil Aviation Organization, a United Nations agency. His nomination must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
“As Governor, Crist guided the state through challenging times, including the Great Recession and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Despite drastic budget shortfalls due to the economic crisis, he made public education a top priority, steering federal stimulus funding to save thousands of teachers’ jobs. He is also a staunch environmental advocate, working at the federal and state levels to help secure billions in public and private aid to restore the Florida Everglades,” the White House said in its announcement of Crist’s nomination.
He would replace pilot Chelsey “Sully” Sullenberger, who became a national hero in 2009 after a miraculous landing on the Hudson River.
Crist was a Republican when he was elected governor in 2006.He attempted to step up to the U.S. Senate in 2010, but was caught off guard by rising Republican rival Marco Rubio, forcing Crist to move over and run as an independent. After losing his bid for the U.S. Senate, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat.
