I talked about it at the end of last week, and it seems that Florida Governor Charlie Crist will in fact announce his run for Senate this week. Politico is reporting that the the Sunshine state’s Governor will be throwing his hat in the ring tomorrow giving the GOP a very high-profile recruit for the Senate and sparking a showdown with former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio.

Crist was one of only a few Republican Governors who supported Obama’s bailout plan, earning a new nickname from Meet The Press’s David Gregory – an “Obama Republican.” During his visit to Florida where he stood on stage with Governor Crist, President Obama said that the Republican Governor, “shares my conviction that creating jobs and turning this economy around is a mission that transcends party. When the town is burning, we don’t check party labels. Everyone needs to grab a hose!” As the Politico mentions, this earned him praise from Democrats and moderate Republicans in Florida, but it has also helped spark Rubio’s campaign.

Crist starts out as the frontrunner to succeed Martinez. But he will first be facing a primary against an up-and-coming conservative challenger, former state House Speaker Marco Rubio. Many Florida conservatives have begun to rally around Rubio over dissatisfaction with Crist’s moderate positions, particularly his vigorous advocacy of President Barack Obama’s stimulus package.

Crist is sure to garner the support of current Senator Mel Martinez, who all but endorsed him last month, and will surely get the backing of GOP Leadership in Washington as a moderate, winnable candidate in a race to keep another Republican vote in the Senate. One big player who endorsement (or lack there of) will be interesting to watch – former Florida Governor Jeb Bush.

Look for the sparks to fly in this Republican primary with talk about the direction of the GOP and the need for fiscal responsibility as key issues among the base. The winner will probably get to face off against Congressman Kendrick Meek, who looks well positioned to win the Democrats primary.