The Florida governor's seat is staying in Republican hands with the election of Charlie Crist.

Crist will become the first governor from St. Petersburg in Florida's 161-year history, WESH 2 News reported.

The governor elect got down to the business Wednesday of putting together his transition team.

A former high school and college football player, Crist is now moving from the role of all-purpose political player to quarterback.

Before speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Crist said he talked with Republican and Democratic lawmakers to assure them of fair leadership.

"We're going to be bipartisan. We're going to do what's right," Crist said. "We're reaching out to all Floridians because this is their state, and I understand that."

Crist, a former lawmaker, education commissioner and current attorney general of Florida, has been a Republican Party loyal for two decades. His victory on Tuesday night makes him the face of the state's Republican Party.

His first job as the governor elect is to name the people who will help make the transition between administrations run smoothly. His team includes attorney Dean Colson, a prominent Democrat and the chairman of the Board of Trustees at the University of Miami, and Clarence McKee, a former adviser to President Ronald Reagan.

Crist also unveiled a code of conduct that bars anyone on his team from accepting gifts or having direct contact with lobbyists.

"Charlie is a very straight person when it comes to ethical standards," said Roberto Martinez, the transition team's chairman.

During the campaign, Democrats claimed Crist was too friendly with insurance companies. Crist promised Wednesday to begin dealing with high premiums even before he takes office.

"If they're not treating the people of Florida fairly and right, they have somebody they got to deal with and it's called the governor elect," he said.

Outgoing Florida Gov. Jeb Bush was a notable no-show at Crist's victory party on Tuesday night. Some suggested that it may have been a snub since Crist skipped an event with President George W. Bush on Monday, which made headlines around the country.

A spokeswoman for Gov. Bush said Wednesday that the governor never planned to be in St. Petersburg on election night because he planned to watch returns in Tallahassee.

The governor released a statement of support on Wednesday.

"Columba and I congratulate Charlie Crist and Jeff Kottkamp on their election as the next governor and lieutenant governor of Florida," Bush said. "We look forward to working with the governor elect to facilitate a seamless transition in the coming days and weeks. With this in mind, I have requested the resignations of my senior executive staff, as well as agency heads and their management teams-one of many steps we will take to ensure the transfer of leadership occurs quickly and efficiently."

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