In many ways, Charlie Crist may well end up being regarded as the highest-profile casualty of the 2010 election. It wasn't so long ago that Florida's governor was on top of the world: he had sky-high approval ratings, was in the running for the Republican vice-presidential nomination in 2008 and was widely considered a favorite to be the Sunshine State's next Senator. On April 29, surrounded by his family and 250 supporters, Crist announced that he would be leaving the Republican Party to run for the Senate as an independent. The recession and housing crisis had hit Florida hard, and his conservative, Tea Party–fueled primary opponent Marco Rubio had hit Crist even harder, leaving the governor little choice but to try to venture out on his own.