Crist Reschedules Special Election in Boca Raton to Not Fall on Passover

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Gov. Charlie Crist on Wednesday moved the date of a special election to replace Democratic Rep. Robert Wexler so it doesn't fall on the last day of Passover.

The Republican governor issued an executive order scheduling an election for April 13 to replace Wexler, who represents the densely Jewish-populated area of Boca Raton. Wexler resigned in January to become president of the Center for Middle East Peace.

Crist originally scheduled the election for April 6, the last day of Passover.

"Originally, the special general election was inadvertently scheduled during Passover, and out of respect to the Jewish community, the special general election has been rescheduled to Tuesday, April 13, 2010," Press Secretary Sterling Ivey said in a statement Wednesday.

Bob Kunst, president of Shalom International, wrote Crist seeking to have the election date rescheduled, calling the original decision an attack upon the religious Jewish community.

Kunst thanked Crist for his turn-around, calling him a "mensch," a Yiddish word idiomatically  meaning a man of integrity.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.