House Speaker Nancy Pelosi endorses Rep. Charlie Crist in Florida gubernatorial race, takes swipe at Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis: 'Florida, you deserve better'

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is weighing in on Florida's 2022 gubernatorial contest by backing fellow Democratic Rep. Charlie Crist.

"He'll be a champion for women's reproductive rights, create opportunities for small business owners, and always show empathy and compassion for our working families. It's a stark contrast to the current governor. Florida, you deserve better," Pelosi said in a video.

Crist, who has served as a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives since early 2017, previously served as governor of the Sunshine State from early 2007 until early 2011 — Crist was a Republican when he won the Florida governor's race in 2006, but he lost a 2010 U.S. Senate bid while running as an independent. He ran for Florida governor as a Democrat in 2014 and lost that contest to Republican Rick Scott.

Crist now has his sights set on the governorship again and is competing in the Democratic gubernatorial primary.

"Speaker Pelosi is a beacon of Democratic values, and her leadership uplifts the voices of all Floridians that are ready to put divisive, inflammatory rhetoric behind us and truly get to work for the people," Crist said in a statement, according to Politico.

Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, a popular conservative figure, is seeking another term in office.

DeSantis press secretary Christina Pushaw posted a laughing emoji when retweeting a post about Pelosi's support for Crist.

A Saint Leo University Polling Institute survey earlier this year found that DeSantis would trounce Crist in a hypothetical gubernatorial election matchup: While 49.2% chose DeSantis, just 32.8% indicated they would back Crist, and 18% were not sure. The individuals surveyed were given names but not party affiliations.

The poll also found a that DeSantis had a 58.8% job approval rating. While 37.4% strongly approved, 21.4% somewhat approved.

Crist is vowing to veto legislation that imposes abortion restrictions: "Free State of Florida? Not when you’re banning a women’s right to choose, Ron. As Governor, I’ll veto any effort to restrict a woman’s right to control her own body."

Last week, DeSantis signed pro-life legislation to prohibit performing abortions if the gestational age of the unborn baby is greater than 15 weeks, with certain exceptions.

"Women should make decisions about their own bodies, not governors. I'd veto this bill and any attempt to restrict the right to choose. Full stop," Crist tweeted.