With Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) announcing his bid for the Senate this morning, the Democratic Governors Association has labeled the 2010 gubernatorial election a "top-tier pick-up opportunity."

Democrats held the Tallahassee governor's mansion for much of the 20th Century, but the 21st has so far been dominated by Republicans -- beginning with Jeb Bush's first election in 1998, re-election in 2002 and Crist's 7-point win in 2006. President Obama, though, won Florida by 3 points.

In a press release, the DGA says it's "well-positioned for the 2009 and 2010 election years, having already announced record-breaking fundraising of $5.3 million in the first quarter alone." It also touted a Mason Dixon poll released last month showing Democrat Alex Sink and Republican Bill McCollum in a dead heat -- with 35% for Florida CFO Sink and 36% for Attorney General McCollum, with 29% undecided.

"Democrats have been winning in Florida, and we are committed to seeing a Democrat put the state back on the path to recovery," said DGA Chairman Brian Schweitzer, the governor of Montana. "Strong leaders in the state like Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink give us an excellent opportunity to return this governorship to the Democratic column."