Charlie Crist Wins Democratic Nomination for Governor of Florida, Will Challenge Ron DeSantis

Paul Morigi/Getty, Wilfredo Lee/AP Photo Rep. Charlie Crist (left), Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services Nikki Fried

Former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist has won the state's Democratic nomination for governor — 11 years after serving in the role as a Republican.

Crist won with almost 60 percent of the vote while Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, who was favored to win the nomination before Crist entered the race, received 30 percent on Tuesday, according to the Associated Press.

Fried, 44, had made a name for herself as a staunch proponent of abortion rights in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down Roe v. Wade. She had also made headlines for going toe-to-toe with current Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican.

Fried argued in press releases sent from the Florida Department of Agriculture that DeSantis "has turned classrooms into battlegrounds to fight his culture wars and divide our state." She had also called on the governor to denounce a group of Nazi demonstrators who marched outside a conservative event in July displaying both swastikas and signs expressing support for DeSantis.

Crist had also made DeSantis an integral part of his campaign, calling him "a wannabe dictator" and "the most arrogant governor I've ever seen in my life."

This marks the 66-year-old Crist's third run for Florida governor. His first, as a Republican, was successful, and he served as governor from 2007 to 2011. He became an independent in 2010, launching an unsuccessful bid for U.S. Senate and ultimately losing to Marco Rubio.

In 2012, Crist officially joined the Democratic Party and launched another bid for governor in 2014. He lost to Republican Rick Scott, but in 2016 was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Crist will next face off against DeSantis in November.

RELATED: Is Donald Trump About to Announce a 2024 Presidential Run — or Is He Trying to Scare Ron DeSantis?

DeSantis has made a national name for himself in recent years and is running for reelection amid intense speculation that he might be eyeing higher office — specifically, a run for the U.S. presidency in 2024.

Joe Raedle/Getty Ron DeSantis

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DeSantis has downplayed those rumors, saying speculation about a presidential campaign is "purely manufactured" even as he governs in a similar style to Donald Trump, making sweeping pronouncements about "woke" culture.

Though DeSantis remains tight-lipped about a possible run for higher office, a political source recently told PEOPLE that he "is popular with Florida Republican voters, which is a good indication of how he would do nationally. He is not afraid to speak out on unpopular issues, and even more important than that, he is not afraid of Donald Trump."