Source: Shakeup to come in Senate race

LAKE MARY, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35 News) - On Thursday, Governor Charlie Crist vetoed the controversial teacher merit pay bill, breaking with conservative ranks. Then the head of the Republican U.S. Senate Re-election Committee issued a warning to Crist telling him his career is over if he tries to run outside the GOP.

The Wall Street Journal, Politico and other outlets are all openly discussing the possibility of an independent Crist. And a new poll Thursday shows independence is Crist's path to victory.

Dr. Rick Foglesong is the President of the faculty at Rollins College, one of our political analysts who has time and time again predicted a run by the governor as an Independent. And now, he says he has a source inside the Crist campaign staff.

Dr. Foglesong said, "A person I know in the Charlie Crist campaign has told me Charlie Crist would veto the merit pay bill, and he did. Further, he said he would announce tomorrow, that's Friday, that he would run as an independent."

Fox 35's Tracy Jacim asked, "Where is this supposed to happen?" Dr. Foglesong said, "South Florida." Jacim asks, "Miami?" Foglesong said, "Yes." Jacim asks, "How reliable is this source?" Foglesong replied, "I trust the source."

Fox 35 contacted the Crist campaign staff by email and phone. They would not confirm whether or not the Governor is switching parties. The only thing they would go on the record and say is, "Whatever this story is about him flying to Miami today to announce he is switching parties is completely inaccurate."

But a new Quinnipiac poll of 1,250 registered Republicans offers support to the theory. It shows the governor badly trailing former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio in the GOP primary with only 33 percent of the vote to Rubio's 56 percent.

But in a three-way general election, the poll shows Governor Crist ahead with 32 percent of the vote, and the way to get a three-way election, is for Crist to run as an independent.

Foglesong says, "I just don't see it any other way unless you think that Governor Charlie Crist is ready to retire from office, which I don't believe."

Fox 35 checked the online schedule, and did not see any event scheduled in South Florida Friday. Dr. Foglesong believes even if it doesn't happen Friday, it will happen eventually.