Repeat of NY-23? Club for Growth targets Crist in Senate race.

Other Republicans in the sights of conservative activists include:

• Sen. Robert Bennett of Utah.

• Illinois Senate candidate Rep. Mark Kirk.

• Rep. Bob Inglis of South Carolina.

Sen. Arlen Specter defected to the Democratic Party in April after it became clear he could not win his GOP primary against Pat Toomey, former president of CFG.

Crist's challenges

In Florida, Crist had been a popular governor, but his job approval rating is now below 50 percent. Still, he is a formidable fundraiser. Rubio will need a lot of help to catch up to Crist financially. But he can be competitive if energized conservative activists, including “tea partiers” and various political action committees, come through for him.

With the Democratic candidate being seen as weak, the winner of the Republican primary has an excellent shot at winning the seat left vacant by Mel Martinez, who retired before his term ended. Crist appointed his former chief of staff, George LeMieux, to finish the term. Mr. LeMieux is not running in 2010.

Crist’s sinking popularity is a result of the state’s economic woes. Unemployment is running above the national average, and the foreclosure crisis hit hard in Florida. Political observers are not surprised to see Crist facing a challenge from his right flank.

“It’s just really the frustration coming out,” says Susan MacManus, a political scientist at the University of South Florida in Tampa. “Same as we saw in these elections [this week]. People are just frustrated that Florida’s economy hasn’t turned around as fast as he had [Crist] promised. And taxes haven’t dropped."

See also:

What GOP candidates want: a Sarah Palin endorsement

Huckabee: GOP tent can ‘be big,’ but NY-23 was a ‘train wreck’

New York House race lays bare Republican infighting

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