Rep. Buchanan backs Crist over Rubio

Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) on Tuesday became the fourth member of Florida’s GOP House delegation to endorse Gov. Charlie Crist’s (R) candidacy for Senate.

Buchanan, who eyed the Senate seat himself but yielded when Crist stepped forward, is a good bet to run for statewide office in the future, and backing the establishment’s candidate in the Senate primary is probably the right move.

“Gov. Crist’s record of accomplishment of cutting property taxes, protecting 2nd Amendment rights and promoting family values, with Florida achieving a record number of adoptions, shows that Charlie Crist is a common sense conservative ready to fight for Florida as her next United States Senator,” Buchanan said in a statement.

Crist has also been backed by the Diaz-Balart brothers and Rep. Connie Mack.

Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.) has endorsed former state House Speaker Marco Rubio (R).