All of the major contenders for governor and U.S. Senate have agreed to attend a candidates' forum Friday evening in Orlando hosted by the Florida Association of Realtors. Except the Senate frontrunner, Gov. Charlie Crist.
"The governor will be attending the Realtors convention on Friday morning in his official capacity,'' said Pablo Diaz, the political director of Crist's campaign. That means he'll be there as the governor, not as a candidate.
The event will mark the second time Crist has declined an opportunity to contrast himself with his Republican rival, former House Speaker Marco Rubio. Last month, he attended a Florida Society of Newspaper Editors lunch in Palm Beach but left before a candidate forum with Rubio.
The Realtors forum is not billed as a debate because candidates will not be on stage at the same time. Rubio, Democratic Senate candidate Kendrick Meek, and gubernatorial candidates Alex Sink and Bill McCollum are all scheduled to participate in the forum at the Rosen Shingle Creek hotel.
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