Scott, Crist clash sharply in final Florida governor debate

Race at a glance

The contest between Republican Gov. Rick Scott and Democratic challenger Charlie Crist is a nasty battle between two unpopular politicians in Florida. It's a tossup race and the last of their three televised debates was a final chance to impress voters before Nov. 4.  Crist  is trying to win back the job he held — as a Republican — from 2007 to 2011. Scott, a former health care executive elected in 2010, has been playing up his rival's ties to President Obama. Crist has centered his campaign on issues such as education and those affecting the middle class. Libertarian Adrian Wyllie, who is polling in the high single digits in some surveys, was not included in the Jacksonville debate that aired on CNN. (Note: This section was updated to correct Wyllie's first name.)

Fangate

Crist was not allowed under the debate rules to bring an electric fan onstage, which meant there was no sequel to a fiasco that overshadowed substance in their Oct. 15 meeting. Crist, who doesn't like to sweat, had a portable fan whirring at his feet beneath his lectern at the previous debate, which caused Scott to delay his entrance for several minutes. The Twitterverse went into a tizzy. While Crist may have broken debate rules, Scott took a beating from Democrats and even some Republicans who criticized the governor's delayed entrance. CNN moderator Jake Tapper addressed the issue quickly, asking Tuesday at the start if everyone onstage was "comfortable."

Scott highlights

As he has throughout the campaign, Scott repeatedly charged Crist with presiding over a Florida economy that lost 832,000 jobs during his governorship. Scott said "government doesn't create jobs," noting his administration has attracted businesses to the state. At times, their exchanges about who can best relate to Floridians in need got personal and centered on the wealth each have. "Charlie grew up with money. He's never had to worry about money his whole life," said Scott, whose net worth was $132.7 million at the end of 2013. Scott is the former CEO of the Columbia/HCA, which was the largest for-profit health care company. Scott had a scathing line -- "Charlie you are a divider, you are a mudslinger" -- to rebut Crist's explanation of why he bolted the Republican Party.

Crist highlights

Crist tried in the debate to show he could empathize with the middle class, noting his support for raising the minimum wage and high-speed rail that would create jobs in the state. "I understand what you're dealing with," Crist said. "I am on your side; Rick Scott is not." He hit Scott on Medicare fraud at Columbia/HCA, which the hospital chain paid $1.7 billion in fines to settle. The candidates also disagreed on climate change, with Crist saying he believes human activity contributed and Scott reluctant to accept the science. Crist hit Scott for postponing last year the execution of Marshall Lee Gore, who murdered two people, because of campaign fundraiser for Attorney General Pam Bondi. She apologized, saying she should not have requested a change in the execution date.

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