FORT PIERCE— Gubernatorial candidate and former U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist plans a campaign stop at a local restaurant Monday, one day before Election Day. 

The Democratic challenger to incumbent Gov. Ron DeSantis is stopping by the Swift Grill in the Sunrise City, the restaurant confirmed Saturday.

Crist will be in St. Lucie County with his Choose Freedom Bus Tour for a “Get Out The Vote” social and rally to “support Crist and other pro-choice candidates” and encourage voters to cast their ballots, according to the Crist campaign.

Samantha Ramirez, a spokesperson for the Crist campaign, confirmed Crist will be coming to a Fort Pierce restaurant from 1 to 2 p.m. Monday.

Mikko Yamaguchi, chef and general manager for Swift Grill, 901 N U.S. 1, said the restaurant is hosting an event for the Democratic candidate Monday for about 70 to 100  people. The restaurant is just north of Avenue H on the west side of U.S. 1.

The Crist campaign said Saturday the rally is free and open to the public. The campaign said people wanting to attend the event should sign up for “Choose Freedom Bus Tour St. Lucie” at mobilize.us/chspanrliecristforgovernor. The link is used so the campaign can get a head count, Ramirez said. 

Fort Pierce police officials said Saturday they were sorting out details about the visit and security needs.

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Crist’s stop in Fort Pierce will be his second visit to the city in 12 days after he and DeSantis took the stage at the Sunrise Theatre for the campaign’s only gubernatorial debate. 

Fort Pierce Mayor Linda Hudson said she thinks Crist’s planned stop in Fort Pierce Monday and DeSantis’s Saturday afternoon rally at Tradition Town Hall are good for all of St. Lucie County.

The county is a competitive place for both candidates, Hudson said.

The mayor said the back-to-back appearances are putting Fort Pierce on the map.

“We’re a beautiful little hidden gem now and with the political people coming here it shows us off,” Hudson said. “And there’s a lot of people who really want us to grow and then there are other people who want it to stay the small town that we are and the trick is for us to try and keep that balance.”

Falon Lofley, the chair of the St. Lucie County Democratic Party, said they’ll be continuing work to get people to vote. 

“We’re just out there knocking on doors, making phone calls and trying to get voters to the polls,” Lofley said.

She said it makes sense for Crist to come back and do a last-minute push to win a potentially bellwether county with a thinning gap between Republicans and Democrats. 

St. Lucie County is a swing county that’s sparked more interest for the Democrats’ gubernatorial candidate in 2022 than in years past, Lofley said.

“I think that has to do with the current trends of higher registration. Higher voter registration,” Lofley said. “… Democrats still outnumber Republicans here, but the margin has been narrowing. And I think that the Crist campaign wants to do what they can.”