Gov. Rick Scott and former Gov. Charlie Crist duked it out for their first of three televised debates Friday morning in Miramar, but both candidates mainly stuck to their talking points and pointed fingers at each other on a wide range of issues.

A new poll shows Miami Dade School Board Member Carlos Curbelo, the Republican nominee, has the edge on U.S. Rep. Joe Garcia, D-Fla. The poll from Saint Leo University Polling Institute shows Curbelo taking 46 percent while Garcia garners 42 percent.

With reports emerging that President Barack Obama wants to close the terrorist detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, by using executive power, a prominent Republican congressman from the Sunshine State is pushing back. Why is the White House even discussing this as we battle a brutal enemy that has beheaded two Americans? asked U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., the only member of the Florida delegation to sit on the Ways and Means Committee. Bringing dangerous terrorists into the U.S. makes no sense and sends the wrong message to our enemies and allies.

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., announced on Friday that he was backing Republican challenger Carol Platt over U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Fla. "Carol is a principled leader with the ability to work across party lines for the betterment of our community, state and country, Rubio said. We need Carol in Washington because she will fight for Central Florida and to help more people achieve the American dream. She's the kind of uniting voice our state and our country need right now. I'm proud to give her my full support."

On Thursday, Congressional Leadership Fund (CLF), a super-PAC connected to the conservative American Action Network (AAN),announced plans to get active in North Florida as U.S. Rep. Steve Southerland, R-Fla., tries to fend off Democrat Gwen Graham. CLF plans to spend $600,000 in ads attacking Graham. Gwen Graham may talk about the North Florida way, but her record shows she only operates the Washington insider way, said Dan Conston, a CLF spokesman.

A new poll shows Amendment 2, which would expand medical marijuana use in Florida, having enough support to pass at the November ballot. Earlier this week, WFLA/Survey USA released a poll which shows only 51 percent of likely voters back Amendment 2, below the 60 percent needed to pass. The University of North Florida (UNF) released a poll on Thursday showing Amendment 2 in much better shape. UNF finds 67 percent of likely voters back Amendment 2 while only 28 percent of those surveyed oppose it.

A new poll from the University of North Florida (UNF) shows former Gov. Charlie Crist ahead of Gov. Rick Scott in the hotly contested Florida gubernatorial race. The poll of likely voters shows Crist taking 43 percent of those surveyed while Scott garners 38 percent. Libertarian Adrian Wyllie takes 10 percent. When Wyllie is taken out of the mix, Crist retains a 5 percent lead, beating Scott 47 percent to 42 percent. The poll of 471 likely voters was taken from Sept. 29-Oct. 8 and had a margin of error of +/- 4.74 percent.

With a lawsuit in placeto get into the debates between Gov. Rick Scott and former Gov. Charlie Crist, Libertarian Adrian Wyllie plans to be active on Friday in Miramar, protesting in front of the studio where the first debate between Crist and Scott will take place. The debate is being held by Telemundo and will air on that station at 7 pm on Friday. The Wyllie campaign plans to hold a rally in front of Telemundo before the debate where the Libertarian candidate will speak.

Libertarian candidate for governor Adrian Wyllie wants in to the Florida Press Association gubernatorial debate, and he's willing to sue to get there.

Appearing on the Lars Larson Show on Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., continued to sound the alarm that taxpayers could be on the hook, insisting President Barack Obamas federal health-care law will lead to bailouts of insurance companies. Rubio led a group of conservative senators in writing U.S. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, warning that Obamacare could lead to bailouts.

Gov. Rick Scott and former Gov. Charlie Crist are ready to throw down the gauntlet as they face off for the first time on Friday in a televised debate. The two candidates will participate in a debate at Telemundos studio in Miramar at 11 a.m. Friday morning. Candidates will answer questions in English and the station will translate their answers into Spanish.

Despite his ties with former Gov. Charlie Crist, former U.S. Sen. Connie Mack, R-Fla., announced on Thursday he was backing Gov. Rick Scott for a second term. Mack had been a key ally of Crist during his rise up the Republican ladder. Crist left the GOP in 2010 to run for the U.S. Senate with no party affiliation before joining the Democrats at the end of 2012.

Florida House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, joined Dont Let Florida Go to Pot on Thursday, speaking out against Amendment 2, a proposal to expand medical marijuana in the Sunshine State.

On Thursday, 27 members of Congress wrote President Barack Obama, calling upon his administration to enact a temporary travel ban on African nations impacted by the Ebola virus. Four members of the Florida delegation -- Republicans Bill Posey, Dennis Ross and Ted Yoho and Democrat Alan Grayson -- signed the letter.

After the U.S. Chamber of Commerce endorsed Republican challenger Miami-Dade School Board member Carlos Curbelo over U.S. Rep. Joe Garcia, D-Fla. on Thursday, Miguel Salazar, a spokesman for the South Florida Democrat, fired back. Salazar noted the U.S. Chamber backed scandal-plagued then-U.S. Rep. David Rivera, R-Fla., in 2012 over Garcia.