Polling shows Democratic gubernatorial hopefuls have lots of ground to make up Jake Stofan, Tallahassee correspondent Tags: U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, D-St. Petersburg, gestures during a campaign rally as he announces his run for Florida governor Tuesday, May 4, 2021, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried this week teased a June 1 announcement for entering the race for governor and former Republican governor turned Democratic congressman Charlie Crist has already announced his bid, but early polling shows Democrats have a lot of ground to make up. Three recent polls all show Gov. Ron DeSantis holding a job approval rating over 50%.