Keep an Eye on the Race to Replace Dean Cannon in the House

With House Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, facing term limits in 2012, a familiar face is well-positioned to replace him. Dr. Bob Brooks, who served three terms in the House during the 1990s and served as state health secretary, launched his campaign in late 2009 to run for this seat, which currently represents parts of Orange County -- though that can change, due to redistricting, in 2012. He has raised more than $47,000 so far, and more than $24,000 of that came in the second quarter of 2011. Brooks has also kept his powder dry, spending slightly more than $5,500 so far.

But Brooks does not have a clear path to the Republican nomination. Jeff Lawson,who is the president and owner of an information and technology company, filed his paperwork to run for the seat in late June. Lawson is not a political novice by any means. He serves on the board of the FairTax Patriots and helped lead Marco Rubios campaign efforts in Orange County. Assuming redistricting keeps both Brooks and Lawson in the same district, this could be shaping up to be an interesting Republican primary.