And former President Bill Clinton has acknowledged he tried to convince Democratic Congress member Kendrick Meek to abandon his Senate bid. Polls show Meek is running a distant third behind Florida Governor Charlie Crist, an independent, and Republican front-runner Marco Rubio. A Clinton spokesperson said the former president told Meek to drop out of the race and endorse Crist. Meek has denied receiving any pressure from Clinton. He is trying to become the first-ever African American to win a statewide vote in Florida.