Democratic Gov. Candidate Charlie Crist criticizes Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over property insurance crisis | Florida News | Orlando

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist on Wednesday stepped up criticism of Gov. Ron DeSantis about the state’s troubled property-insurance market.

“It’s in collapse. You know, we’re in free fall with the property insurance industry in our state, and our citizens are the ones who are suffering as a result of it,” Crist said during a news conference in Jacksonville.

Many private insurers have dropped policies and sought large rate increases because of financial losses, with five carriers deemed insolvent since February. Thousands of policies a week have poured into the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp., which was created as an insurer of last resort.

DeSantis called a special legislative session in May to try to bolster the market, but problems have continued. Democrats have tried to pin the issue on DeSantis as he runs for re-election in November.

“Allow insurance companies to have a profit,” Crist said during the news conference. “Business needs to make a profit, I get that. But we can’t let them gouge our fellow citizens in the process and double their rates in a four-year period.”