Republican-turned-Democrat Charlie Crist has picked former congressional candidate and Miami-Dade County Democratic Party chairwoman Annette Taddeo-Goldstein as his running mate.

Former Gov. Crist made the announcement Thursday in Miami.

Taddeo-Goldstein was born in Colombia to an American father and Colombian mother, and spent the first 17 years of her life in the South American country.

The pick comes less than six weeks ahead of Florida's Democratic primary and will help shore up support among the party faithful. Crist is facing former Senate Democratic Leader Nan Rich.

Political analyst Ana Cruz said Crist's pick will certainly help in the primary.

"This is a woman that understands what it's like to make ends meet, to live on minium wage, and as a small business owner to make payroll," said Cruz. "That’s what a lot of Floridians are going through as we speak. Charlie Christs’ decision in Annette is a real connection for a lot of people."

Taddeo-Goldstein is also a vice chairman of the Florida Democratic Party and is on the Democratic National Committee's executive committee.

"I want to ensure everyone in Florida has a fair shot to do the same thing," said Taddeo-Goldstein on Thursday. "Unfortunately right now, too many people across florida are feeling left out and left behind.

"We have a governor right now who looks out for those at the top. We need someone who will fight for a higher minimum wage, and for equal pay for women"

Crist was a lifelong Republican until running for Senate as an independent in 2010, losing to Marco Rubio. Crist officially registered as a Democrat in late 2012.

Meanwhile, Senator Nan Rich issued the following statement regarding Crist’s selection of his running mate.

"Because he’s been a life-long Republican, Charlie Crist might be excused for not knowing that Democrats typically don’t choose a running mate until they win the nomination.

What can’t be excused is his refusal to engage in the democratic process in a serious way. Crist’s record is in stark contrast to the values of the Democratic Party. He is anti-choice, has consistently opposed equality for the LGBT community, expanded private school vouchers, given the NRA a blank check, and appointed some of the most right-wing judges in Florida. More than 89% of Florida Democrats want a gubernatorial primary debate to discuss these issues.

Today Crist answered a question few voters are interested in. It is well past time for him to commit to debates and answer the questions voters do care about."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

About Annette Taddeo-Goldstein

Source: CharlieCrist.com

Annette was born on April 7, 1967, on a U.S. military base in Colombia, where her father met her mother while he was serving in the armed forces.

As a child, Annette organized toy drives for needy children, and volunteered at local orphanages. She got her start as an entrepreneur as a 13-year old girl, selling oranges to her neighbors from their family's grove.

When Annette was 17, her family moved to Miami. Annette graduated from the University of North Alabama in 1992 with a degree in commercial Spanish and a minor in business administration. She then settled in Miami-Dade County.

In 1995, Annette founded LanguageSpeak, a comprehensive language services company offering translations, conference interpretation, and private tutoring in over 100 languages. LanguageSpeak has been named one of the top 100 small businesses in Florida and one of the top 500 small businesses in the United States.

Annette has served as Chair of the Miami-Dade Democratic Party. In 2008, she was the Democratic nominee for Congress in South Florida's 18th District, receiving more votes than any other Democrat who's run in that district.

Annette is a proud wife and mother, married to Dr. Eric Goldstein, a clinical psychologist & motivational speaker. In addition to their 8-year old daughter, Sofia, Dr. Goldstein has two children from a previous marriage. The family lives in Pinecrest.

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