Rudy Giuliani 2008 presidential campaign in the state) for third place, well behind front-runners McCain and Romney. By a January 24, 2008 poll, Giuliani was in third place in Florida with 20% of the vote, compared to 23% for John McCain and 27% for Mitt Romney. Another blow to Giuliani was the late endorsements for McCain of Florida Senator and former Chairman of the Republican National Committee Mel Martinez on January 25 and the highly popular Governor of Florida, Charlie Crist, on January 26. Crist had planned to endorse Giuliani in the early autumn, and had still been expected to do so in early January.
Rudy Giuliani promotions of Bernard Kerik Rudy Giuliani promotions of Bernard Kerik Rudy Giuliani, as mayor of the City of New York, promoted the career of Bernard Kerik (by appointment or recommendation) on several occasions. Critics have charged that Giuliani showed consistently poor judgment in doing so. Bernard Kerik, who started out as a New York Police Department detective driving for his campaign, then became the city's Commissioner of the Department of Correction and later New York City Police Commissioner and a founder of Giuliani Partners. Kerik also served as bodyguard for Giuliani. Giuliani is godfather to Kerik's two younger children, by Kerik's third wife, Hala