While he had been focusing on the New Hampshire primary, where he took less than 1 percent of the vote last week, former Gov. Buddy Roemer of Louisiana said on Tuesday that he intends to stay in the race for the Republican presidential nomination -- but hes looking at Michigan and Arizona instead of South Carolina and Florida. Roemer is also running for the Americans Elect nomination.

Florida conservative leader John Stemberger announced on Tuesday that he is backing former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania for the Republican presidential nomination. Stemberger had been behind Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Steve Southerland announced on Tuesday that he is backing businesswoman Karen Harrington to challenge Democrat incumbent U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Wasserman Schultz is the chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee. Harrington ran against her in 2010 but she faces a crowded primary field in order to obtain a rematch.

The Everglades Water Supply Summit on Tuesday, Jan. 17, that is to include a panel discussion featuring Gov. Rick Scott, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam and Hall of Fame golfer Jack Nicklaus, will be webcast. NBC News chief White House correspondent Chuck Todd will moderate the event being held at the Augustus B. Turnbull III Florida State Conference Center in Tallahassee that is set to begin at 2 p.m. According to organizers, the panels include: Water Supply Panelists:

Florida Rep. Paige Kreegel, R-Punta Gorda, has refocused his congressional efforts by filing to run for the 14th District seat held by U.S. Rep. Connie Mack, R-Naples, on Monday. Kreegel, a family doctor who is term-limited from seeking re-election to the state House, had previously been listed as a candidate for Floridas 16th District seat held by U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Tequesta. The 16th District is expected to be centered on northern Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast through the Legislature's once-a-decade redistricting process.

A poll unveiled on Monday from American Research Group finds that former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts is leading the pack of Republican presidential hopefuls in Florida.

With former Gov. Jon Huntsman of Utah announcing on Monday that he is pulling out of the race for the Republican presidential nomination, the chief beneficiary of his support in Florida is former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, according to a Sunshine State News Poll that will be released on Tuesday.

Veteran Republican political operative Roger Stone is insisting that former Gov. Jeb Bush will soon endorse former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts -- giving that Republican presidential hopeful a big lift in the Sunshine State. Over at his Stone Zone site, Stone notes:

Florida Republican U.S. Rep. John Mica, the chairman of the Congressional House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, announced on Monday that he is backing former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts for the GOP nomination.

Rebuffing a tea party alternative, state GOP leaders re-elected Blaise Ingoglia as vice chairman of the Republican Party of Florida. Ingoglia defeated tea party leader Patricia Sullivan on Saturday. Vote totals were not announced.

Gov. Rick Scott and Attorney General Pam Bondi released the following statements on Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Jan. 16. Gov. Scott: This weekend our state and our nation will remember the legacy of a great man who challenged us to make the American dream available to every American. Martin Luther King Jr. inspires individuals to make sure every level of government removes every barrier preventing that dream from becoming a reality. When hurdles are removed, people are empowered to achieve everything their hard work, integrity and courage will allow.

Former state representative Dudley Goodlette was given a $200,000 contract Saturday to repair the image of Edison State College, filling in for the suspended president who was earning $837,000 a year. The Edison State board of trustees selected Goodlette, a former trustee who spent eight years in the state Legislature, as the interim president over Miami-Dade College provost Kathie Sigler. The contract for the Naples Republican is good until Aug. 1.

Two Seminole Tribe leaders are praising Attorney General Pam Bondi for her recent opinion that any effort to expand slot-machine gaming in Florida via public referendum is illegal. James Billie, council chairman, and Tony Sanchez Jr., board president, said Bondi's defense of the state's 2010 gaming compact brought a strong dose of shockn yall to fast-track gaming interests in Gadsden and Washington counties.

The Christian Family Coalition will host an online town hall with presidential candidate Rick Santorum Tuesday night. The public is invited to log on here to reserve a virtual seat for the "Tele-Town Hall," which will begin at 8:30 p.m. Christian Family Coalition founder and executive director Anthony Verdugo extended the invitation to "discuss the future of our country and how we can work together to restore Americas greatness and founding principles."

State Rep. Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda, D-Tallahassee, wants the state Department of Corrections to reconsider closing the Jefferson Correctional Institute in Monticello. The facility was one of seven state prisons the department announced Thursday among a statewide consolidation plan that is projected to save $14.9 million this year and $75.8 million in the next fiscal year.