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crowd went nuts, with supporters lining up for cellphone photos and frantically updat- ing their Facebook pages. Among the throng flitted local Democratic Party Chairwoman Rita Ferrandino, School Board candidate Ken Marsh, County Commission candidate Ray Porter, City Commissioner Suzanne Atwell, congressional candidate Henry Lawrence, former state Rep. Keith Fitzgerald and activ- ists from the Sierra Club, Planned Parenthood and other groups. Gary Kompothecras was also on hand, his presence a signal of the shifting tides in the gubernatorial campaign. Over the years, Kompothecras, the man behind 1-800-ASK- GARY, has backed a number of Republicans, including presidential candidate Mitt Romney, U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, state Rep. Ray Pilon and state Sen. Bill Galvano. In late 2010, he cut a $25,000 check to the Republican Party of Florida, the organization currently backing two trackers who hectored Crist on Sarasota sidewalks this week. Nevertheless, this year, Kompothecras is backing Crist. "The right wing of the Republican Party has taken over, and there's no room for moder- ates," Fitzgerald, a Crist campaign surrogate, told The Sarasota News Leader. According Gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist listens to a supporter's remark during a campaign stop at the Clásico Cafe & Bar. Sarasota News Leader July 25, 2014 Page 26