Politics 
 
 Republican Florida Governor Charlie Crist has decided he will run as an independent in the race to fill the Florida U.S. Senate seat, Crist allies tell Fox News. Crist is expected to make the announcement Thursday evening at a park in St. Petersburg, his hometown, surrounded by family supporters from both parties. The Senate campaign has been rough and tumble for Crist, he was once the front-runner — but in recent months began trailing his GOP opponent, Tea Party favorite and former Florida State Speaker Marco Rubio. But Crist’s hand was plainly forced by the rise of Rubio, who has harnessed conservative energy to propel him to a large double-digit lead in the polls. Crist has said that under no circumstance would he drop out of the race, saying he will do what is best for the voters of Florida. “He’ll say he doesn’t want to be judged by a small minority, but by all the people who he serves,” said the adviser. The adviser said that Crist’s speech is expected to focus on how the “two-party system is broken” and how his candidacy will place the people of Florida ahead of the interests of the two major parties.
– Charlie Crist will tell the world tomorrow whether he plans to run for Senate as an independent, and a flurry of reports say he's already decided to make the switch. Anonymous sources close to the Florida governor have told Fox News, Politico, and the Miami Herald that he will bolt the GOP. Crist is expected to spend tomorrow making courtesy calls to supporters ahead of his afternoon press conference. During the announcement, he will likely say that he intends to caucus with Senate Republicans, notes Fox. Crist, the onetime frontrunner who now trails Tea Party favorite Marco Rubio for the GOP nod, must formally announce his affiliation by Friday.