Crist, Rubio to Speak at Fundraisers Friday

It’s not even campaign season. Yet two titans of Florida politics will be attending fund raisers 12 miles apart Friday, according to the Sarasota Herald Tribune.

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio will speak at the downtown penthouse home of entrepreneur Jesse Biter. Rubio, who is seen as a potential presidential candidate, is raising money for his PAC, Reclaim America, according to political reporter Jeremy Wallace writing for HT Politics. Tickets for the Rubio event start at $500.

Former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist will be at the Polo Grill in Lakewood Ranch. Crist is raising money for the Manatee County Democratic Party. According to Wallace, there is speculation that Crist will run for governor again. Tikcets start at $75.

The two men ran against each other 2012 for the U.S. Senate. Rubio beat Crist, who was then an independent.

According to Wallace, the pair's rivalry goes back for many years:

"When Rubio, a Republican, was Florida House Speaker and Crist the Republican governor, they battled viciously in the state capital on state gambling policies and property tax reforms."

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