Florida's Bachelor Governor To Wed

St. Petersburg, FL (AHN) - Gov. Charlie Crist, Florida's first bachelor governor in more than 40 years, proposed to his girlfriend of nine months, Carol Rome, on Thursday.

The 51-year-old governor popped the question to Rome, 38, at his downtown St. Petersburg apartment.

"We've been talking about it for quite a while," Crist told the Associated Press. "I asked her while we were looking out over Tampa Bay and I couldn't think of a better place to do it."

He presented her with a blue sapphire ring surrounded by diamonds.

No date has yet been set, but Crist said he expected the wedding to be in St. Petersburg. A reception would be held in Tallahassee.

Crist, who denied allegations that he was gay during his election campaign in 2006, was married for less than a year while in college. This is his fifth engagement.

Rome was divorced in the spring and has two daughters, 9 and 11. She is president of her 100-year-old family business, Franco American Novelty Co.

The last Florida governor to get married while in office was Claude Kirk, in 1967.

Crist has been rumored as a possible vice presidential running mate for Republican aspirant John McCain. The last bachelor vice president was William King in 1852.