After reports and photos of Jake Rush partaking in dark-themed, live-action role-playing games (RPGS) got national attention on Tuesday, the Republican congressional candidate looked to offer an explanation and insisted this was all a campaign trick by U.S. Rep. Ted Yohos, R-Fla., team.

Hispanic Republicans from Florida, led by U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., and U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., vouched for Gov. Rick Scott on Tuesday. Last week, Democrats tried to make political hay out of reports that Mike Fernandez left the Scott campaign after reports that campaign aides were speaking in over-the-top Mexican accents.

Dr. Ben Carson, whose name is generating some buzz as a potential Republican presidential candidate in 2016, is launching a new online magazine for African-American conservatives. Carson received notice for his criticism of President Barack Obamas federal health-care law at the 2013 National Prayer Breakfast. Carson showcased American CurrentSee on Tuesday in an email to conservatives.

Even as he faces new questions about his personal life, Jake Rush, an attorney and former Alachua County sheriffs deputy, released a new television ad as he continues his Republican primary challenge against freshman U.S. Rep. Ted Yoho, R-Fla. Rush ignores Yoho in the new ad and focuses on introducing himself to the voters of North Central Florida. Besides offering some biographical details, Rush stresses his conservatism in the new ad.

Former state Rep. Paige Kreegel launched a new television commercial on Tuesday as he continues running in the Republican primary in the special election to replace former U.S. Rep. Trey Radel, R-Fla., in Congress. The new ad features Kreegels wife Erika talking about his background. My husband Paige is running for Congress, Erika Kreegel says in the ad. Campaigns have become so nasty. People should stand on their record. Paige has been a doctor in Southwest Florida for 30 years, on the sheriff's SWAT team, and as a trauma doctor saving the lives of our servicemen.

On Monday, two prominent Florida Republicans -- Gov. Rick Scott and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio -- played up their opposition to Nicolas Maduro and his regime controlling Venezuela. Scott announced that he would send petitions with more than 1,000 signatures from Florida urging President Barack Obama to take action against the regime. Back in February, Scott urged Obama to launch sanctions against the Venezuelan leadership.

Adrian Wyllie, the favorite for the Libertarian nomination to challenge Gov. Rick Scott, announced at the end of last week that he was bringing in a member of former U.S. Rep. Ron Pauls, R-Texas, team to help his campaign.

For the first time since the school shootings in Connecticut back in December 2012, Rasmussen Reports released a poll on Monday showing a majority of likely voters -- 53 percent -- oppose stricter gun control laws. Only 40 percent of those surveyed back stronger gun control laws, down from 49 percent last May. The poll of 1,000 likely voters was taken March 26-27 and had a margin of error of +/- 3 percent.

With the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) attacking former Gov. Charlie Crist in recent days, the Florida Democratic Party struck back on Monday by attacking Gov. Rick Scott. Crist is the favorite to win the Democratic nomination to challenge Scott in November despite having spent most of his political life as a Republican. Joshua Karp, a spokesman for the Florida Democratic Party, pointed to attacks from the RPOF on Crist, showing the new Democrat wearing a Rolex and riding in a limousine.

Gov. Rick Scotts campaign team released a 15 second Web video on Monday showcasing job growth during his term in office. The ad stays positive, not taking aim at former Gov. Charlie Crist or other Democrats. The Scott team launched English and Spanish versions of the ad. The ad comes as new unemployment data shows that Florida has added over 540,000 private-sector jobs since Gov.Scott took office, Greg Blair, a spokesman for the Scott campaign, informed the media on Monday morning.

Gov. Rick Scott flatly rejected ideas for the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) to tie bonuses to police officers based on the number of tickets they write. The idea that FHP would tie officer bonuses to the number of tickets they write is absolutely outrageous and wrong, Scott said. "All state worker bonuses should be based on better not worse outcomes for the people of Florida who pay the taxes to fund state government. Floridians paying more in tickets is not a better outcome. Period, Scott added. If this idea comes across my desk, I will reject it.

Gov. Rick Scott announced Florida's job numbers for February on Friday, revealing that the state created 32,100 private-sector jobs over the month. According to a press release from the governor's office, this is the highest number of private-sector Florida jobs created in a single month since Scott took office. Despite the positive growth in job numbers, the states unemployment rate for February remained at 6.2 percent, which is the lowest unemployment rate in the state since June 2008. The rate held steady from the revised January rate of 6.2 percent.

Democrats -- the real ones, not the ones who think they have to vote for Charlie Crist to win -- are increasingly uncomfortable with Charlie's right-of-center answers to basic Democratic policy questions. They want a good look at the alternative. And now Nan Rich, the only real Democrat in the gubernatorial race, is not only saying the same thing, she's calling for her party leaders to give her and Charlie that much-anticipated debate.

Gov. Rick Scotts team launched a Web ad on Thursday praising the governors work on funding cancer research. State Sen. John Thrasher, R-St. Augustine, the chairman of Scotts campaign, tried to contrast Scotts record with that of former Gov. Charlie Crist, the favorite for the Democratic nomination.

The Florida Democratic Party wants Rick Scott's latest adtaken off the air. In a letter sent Thursday to 67 television stations across the state, FDP attorney Mark Herron requested the stations refuse to broadcast the ad, which criticizes former Gov. Charlie Crist for describing President Barack Obama's health care plan as "great."