About Chris Craft

A Story Like So Many Others

Born and raised in Florida’s Treasure Coast, St. Lucie County Commissioner Chris Craft learned at a young age the importance of family responsibility, a hard day’s work, and service to your community. Whether it is struggling to pay for the rising costs for health care and college or worrying about losing the family house, Chris knows firsthand the challenges facing many families today and the difficult decisions that they are being forced to make.

When Chris was 19, his father passed away from cancer. With medical bills outstanding, Chris made the difficult decision to delay college and instead go to work for a local contractor laying drywall and drop ceilings. He worked hard to ensure that the family would not lose the house his dad owned.

Chris knew that he wanted to go to college but was concerned about the cost. So he applied for a job with Coca-Cola because the company offered its employees the opportunity to participate in a college tuition reimbursement program. During his ten years with Coca-Cola, Chris worked during the day and often took business and marketing classes at a local community college at night. At the same time, he successfully rose through the ranks and was ultimately promoted to a position where he was charged with negotiating millions of dollars in contracts on behalf of Coca-Cola and representing the company in communities throughout Martin, Okeechobee, St. Lucie, and Indian River Counties.

Having earned the respect from business leaders, community activists, and elected officials, Chris was tapped in 2001 to chair the City of Ft. Pierce’s Centennial Celebration. Following the event, Chris was praised for his ability to work with competing interests and developing a plan that raised Ft. Pierce’s profile while helping to spur revenue and jobs.

In 2004, Chris decided to run for an open seat on the St. Lucie County Commission. Despite being outspent nearly eight to one by an opponent who was bankrolled by special interests, Chris’ work ethic and ideas won voters over. He outworked his opponent on the ground and was elected by just over one percent. This victory and his re-election in 2008 are just two more examples in Chris’ life where perseverance and hard work paid off.

A Record of Moderation and Building Support Across Party Lines

Those who have worked with Chris know that he is an independent voice who values different opinions and ideas on how to tackle the difficult issues of today.

Since joining the commission, Chris has built a reputation as someone who governs with fiscal responsibility and is committed to improving the lives of his constituents. He has fought to enhance health care and education in the county, protect property ownership rights for farmers, ranchers, and growers, expand veterans services, improve St. Lucie’s criminal justice system, and attract alternative and renewable energy companies to the region as tools for economic development, energy development, local tax revenue, and jobs for the future.

Chris’ moderate positions on critical issues and commitment to not allowing political differences to stand in the way of sound public policy have been recognized by many. He is known for working with others and thinking out of the box to find solutions and build consensus. Scripps Newspapers has called Chris a “proven leader,” noting, “He has tried new ideas that others may not have considered and allowed commissioners to think beyond traditional solutions to problems and challenges. He has demonstrated forward-thinking creativity that could bring great benefits to the county.”

Committed to the Priorities of his Constituents

Chris has a long record of fighting for the things that matter most to his constituents.

At a time when Floridians are hurting from a struggling economy, Chris has led the way in balancing the county’s budget, putting away money into a disaster recovery fund, and reducing millage rates for St. Lucie residents nearly every year he has been in office. Because of this work, the average St. Lucie County resident pays less today in property taxes than he or she did when Chris first took office in 2004. Chris will take this same commitment to fiscal responsibility and accountability with him to Congress.

Chris believes that healthcare is not a privilege, but a fundamental right. So when some in Washington tried to block health care coverage for over 10 million children – 750,000 of whom live in Florida – Chris spoke up on their behalf, calling on the region’s state and federal officials to do the right thing and protect our children.

He has stood up for veterans on the county commission and voted to ensure that the county does not cut veterans service programs, including those which provide rides to the VA.

As Chair of the County Commission, when opponents of restoring the Everglades were doing everything they could to delay cleaning up the St. Lucie Estuary, Indian River Lagoon, and Caloosahatchee River, Chris helped lead the charge to secure the critical authorizations and funding needed to begin the restoration of these environmental treasures.

He has fought on behalf of farmers, growers, and ranchers to ensure that their business and land will be sustainable for generations to come. Chris believes that agriculture must be a large part of the solution to energy independence and is committed to working with the industry to expand those opportunities and share in the economic potential of green energy.

Dedicated to Our Community

Chris currently serves as the chair of the Treasure Coast Council of Local Governments, an organization made up of representatives from 19 different elected bodies in St. Lucie, Martin, Okeechobee, and Indian River Counties. In this role, Chris has championed efforts to bring about economic prosperity and job creation throughout the region. In 2007, Chris pushed hard and was successful in coordinating a regional economic summit that included for the first time participants from Okeechobee County. In fact, he is one of only three Democrats on the board of 19 – another example of the emphasis that Chris places on working across party lines and the success that he has had in doing so.

Chris sits on the board of Healthy Kids, an organization which distributes applications for uninsured children to participate in Florida KidCare. He also serves on the Treasure Coast Education Development Authority, working to bring jobs to the region’s education and industrial parks. He has chaired the St. Lucie County Property & Homeowner Associations, St. Lucie County Erosion District, Public Safety Coordinating Council, Court Facilities Space Needs Committee, and Value Adjustment Board, among others.

Family Life

Chris was born on May 7, 1973, is a resident of Lakewood Park, and a native of St. Lucie County. He has been married to his wife Patti for 13 years and is the father of one daughter, Sydni, who is looking forward to campaigning with her dad.