According to trial lawyer John Morgan, founder of the mega-firm Morgan & Morgan, Republicans are “sweating all over the Internet” about a possible Charlie Crist candidacy for Florida governor.
The Orlando Sentinel reports that Morgan’s statement on Thursday is another sign the former governor will compete in 2014 for the state’s highest office. Morgan, a significant Crist fundraiser, hired the Republican-turned-Democrat after his unsuccessful U.S. Senate run as an independent in 2010.
“I got a thing in the Morgan household; never let them see you sweat. Well, they’re sweating all over the Internet,” Morgan told reporters before speaking at the Tallahassee Tiger Bay Club. “He’s still a private citizen, and they’re falling apart. It’s premature.”
Crist running for governor is the biggest challenge for incumbent Republican Gov. Rick Scott. The Democratic Party, as well as the fund-raising network of President Obama, is particularly interested in getting a Southern governorship next year. Morgan said that it could be the first “domino to move the South.”
Scott expects to produce approximately $100 million for his re-election, about the same as his first run for office where he spent $73 million of his own money.
However, Morgan said that between “name value” and the good will he has with many voters, Crist has the potential to reach about the same amount for his bid to return to Tallahassee.
