On Wednesday, it was reported that Gov. Ron DeSantis’ (R-FL) Democrat opponent, Rep. Charlie Christ, will resign from Congress, effective at the end of the day Wednesday, to focus on the race to stop DeSantis’ second term as chief executive of the state.

The Hill reports:

In a statement to the Tampa Bay Times, Crist said it was “an honor and a privilege” to represent his constituents in Congress, adding that “these achievements start and end with you, the people — my bosses — who have guided my work in Congress since Day One.”

His resignation comes the week after he won Florida’s Democratic gubernatorial primary to take on Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Crist had faced criticism earlier this year for heavily utilizing the House’s pandemic-era proxy voting rule, assigning a House colleague to vote on his behalf rather than traveling to Washington to vote in person.

Crist was previously the governor of Florida from 2007 to 2011 as a Republican, switching parties in 2012 before another unsuccessful gubernatorial run. He was elected to the House in 2016.

Due to redistricting, Crist’s 13th Congressional District seat has become increasingly Repulican, prompting the Democrat to run for governor instead of a near-certain defeat in his chances for reelection. Republican Anna Paulina Luna has won the GOP nomination for the 13th District, making her Crist’s likely successor. DeSantis previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives before becoming governor of the state.

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