Charlie Crist’s campaign has released a statement, which I see via the St. Petersburg Times, that he will not be running as an independent.

“Governor Crist is running for the United States Senate as a Republican,” the statement reads. “He will not run as an Independent or as a No Party Affiliation.”

The announcement came after growing speculation that he might run as an independent, due to Marco Rubio’s huge fundraising haul and his recent opposition to Republican legislators.

The declaration may tamp down some of this speculation, for now. But the fact that in the midst of a GOP primary Crist has to repeatedly swat down rumors that he’d run as an independent — and that the rumors sound completely plausible — in and of itself does not speak well for his prospects.