Crist Says He'd Support a Repeat of Florida Democratic Primary

March 2 (Bloomberg) -- Florida Governor Charlie Crist said he'd support a repeat of the Democratic presidential primary so the state's delegates can be counted at the party's national convention.

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean said he's open to the possibility. Primary elections are paid for by a state's taxpayers, so the offer from Crist, a Republican, is ``very helpful'' because money is an issue, Dean said.

``We're very willing to listen to the people of Florida,'' Dean said on CNN's ``Late Edition'' program today.

The Democratic Party stripped Michigan and Florida of their delegates to the convention as punishment for holding votes before the sanctioned date of Feb. 5. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, head of the Democratic National Convention, said last month that delegates from those states shouldn't decide the nomination.

New York Senator Clinton beat Illinois Senator Barack Obama in the Florida contest Jan. 29, though neither campaigned there in accordance with the party's decision. Clinton won in Michigan after her rivals withdrew from the ballot.

Clinton said Jan. 25 that delegates from Florida and Michigan should be seated at the Democratic National Convention in August.

Dean said the dispute over seating delegates is the fault party leaders, not Florida voters.

``If they would like to fix that problem so that we can seat Florida without any problems, of course we would like to seat Florida,'' he said.

Crist said, ``I think it's very important though that those delegates are seated.

``I'm hopeful that the Democratic National Committee comes to the conclusion it's the right thing to do,'' he said on CNN today.

Källa: Yahoo!