Fabian Calvo, one of three Republican candidates running for House District 45, announced today that he has won the endorsement of Rebecca O'Dell-Townsend.

She is a former President of the Suncoast Women's Republican Club and founding member of the Downtown Women's Republican Club in Tampa.

But her name may be familiar for other reasons, too.

In 1989, O’Dell-Townsend gave birth to a girl, whom she said was fathered by Gov. Charlie Crist after a one-time sexual encounter in the fall of 1988. When Odell-Townsend, who was going through a bitter divorce at the time, accused Crist of being the father, he steadfastly denied it.

Yet Crist signed legal papers waiving parental rights, which helped pave the way for O'Dell-Townsend to place the child for adoption.
Those records surfaced in the 2006 governor's race after allies of Crist's primary opponent, Tom Gallagher, circulated copies of the confidential adoption records to reporters around the state.
Since the adoption, O’Dell-Townsend  went on to become a lawyer and has been active in Republican causes.
Calvo said today that he had been vaguely aware of that story but did not think much of it.

“That’s really none of my business,” he said. “All that stuff, it’s not something I choose to get involved in.”

He said he was impressed by her skills teaching constitutional law. “I’m honored she’s endorsed my campaign,” he said. “I hope the positive is on the good work she’s doing.”

Jodie Tillman, Times staff writer

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