Correspondent

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist will ditch the Republican Party and run as an independent in the race for the Sunshine State's Senate seat, it was reported Wednesday.
Crist, whose fortunes within the GOP have faded in recent months, will make an official announcement Thursday in St. Petersburg, members of his camp told
Fox News. The filing deadline is Friday.
Last week, Crist, a moderate, told the Associated Press he was making a thoughtful and deliberate effort, guided by Florida residents, to decide whether to launch an independent campaign. He has repeatedly said he has no intention of dropping out of the race completely.
Crist, once a darling of the GOP as a popular big-state governor and the runaway leader in early Senate surveys, trails his GOP opponent, Florida State Speaker Marco Rubio, by double digits in
recent polls.
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