Charlie Crist
Credit: Politico

Former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist parted ways with the Republican Party in 2010 and spent last year working the crowds for Obama’s reelection. Now,  insiders say he’s gearing up to challenge GOP Gov. Rick Scott in the 2014 gubernatorial race.

Crist has stepped up his political activity in recent months, delivering a high-profile speech at the prestigious Jefferson-Jackson dinner in May and meeting extensively with a motley crowd of Democratic operatives behind closed doors.

Politico reports:

His allies say that consultants have been courting Crist for months; the 2014 gubernatorial race is expected to be a costly, and thus lucrative, affair. But the conversations have taken on a new level of intensity and focus as Crist has leaned further in the direction of joining the race.

As a former Republican who has never sought office before as a Democrat, it makes sense for Crist to block off a longer period of time to assemble a campaign team – unlike other potential Democratic contenders, he has not spent years cultivating the party’s operative class.