A new poll finds that Gov. Rick Perry of Texas is leading the Republican presidential pack in Florida with U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota and former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts on his heels. A poll from the American Research Group found Perry, who has yet to formally enter the race, leading in the Sunshine State with 16 percent followed by Bachmann and Romney with 15 percent each. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who has also yet to enter the race, came in fourth with 13 percent. Businessman Herman Cain came in fifth taking 11 percent.

Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Connie Mack has drawn another primary opponent -- Naples attorney Joseph Davidow. Davidow, a former congressional intern, filed with the state on Friday that he was planning to run in 2012. This marks the second Republican challenger planning to take Mack on in 2012. Timothy Rossano, who has been a frequent candidate in Rhode Island, has already filed to run against Mack.

With former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlentys camp saying last week that there was little difference between their candidate and GOP rival U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, the congresswomans team came out swinging on Sunday.

Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania has not exactly been gaining traction in his bid for the Republican presidential nomination, but a prominent new hire could help turn things around. On Monday, BrabenderCox announced that Hogan Gidley was joining up as a senior communications adviser and he would be handling communications and press for the former senators presidential campaign.

Businesswoman Karen Harrington, who was the Republican nominee to take on Democratic U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, is looking to challenge the incumbent again in 2012. To that end, the Harrington camp unveiled a FireDebbie.com website on Monday. The site contains attacks on Wasserman-Schultz on a number of fronts ranging from her backing of President Barack Obamas economic policies to supporting Israel.

On the day his girlfriend, Sofia Vergara, appeared on the cover of Parade magazine, Nick Loeb told Sunshine State News he is still considering a run for U.S. Senate in Florida. The article referenced a possible bid by Loeb, and the South Florida businessman did nothing to discourage Republican supporters.

Rasmussen Reports unveiled a host of polls on Friday pitting President Barack Obama against his potential Republican opponents, and the two GOP hopefuls who did the best were former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts and U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas. Romney beat Obama 43 percent to 42 percent. The president beat Paul by 4 points, 41 percent to 37 percent.

In his weekly radio address, which was released on Friday, Gov. Rick Scott came out strongly in support of pending free-trade agreements with Colombia and Panama which have stalled in Washington. Scott insisted that Florida would benefit more than any other state in the nation under these agreements, which have also won the backing of many of the states leading Republicans including Congressmen Vern Buchanan, Connie Mack and David Rivera.

To commemorate the 500th anniversary of Florida, the State Department's Museum of Florida History in Tallahassee will add a new permanent exhibit called "Forever Change La Florida 1513-1821." The new section to the museum is already under way and it will be finished and ready for public viewing in the spring of 2012. The new exhibit will give visitors the opportunity to view and examine Florida in 1513, when Ponce De Leon anchored on Florida land, beginning his adventures in the New World.

In a statement on Friday afternoon, Florida Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio weighed in on the cut, cap and balance plan that congressional Republicans are backing. Whats at stake here is Americas credit rating, and the people that give us our credit rating have been very clear that we cant just raise the debt limit. They also want to see a plan to see how we are going to deal with our debt, said Rubio. The president hasnt offered a plan to do that. The Senate Democrats who run the Senate have not offered a plan to do that.

Marion County School Board member Jackie Porter filed her paperwork with the state to run for theSenate seat currently held by Sen. Evelyn Lynn, R-Ormond Beach. While Porter is running as a Republican, she could face a primary fight against state Rep. Dorothy Hukill, R-Port Orange. The seat currently represents parts of Clay, Marion, Putnam and Volusia counties and it may change during redistricting -- but, as of now, this would be an interesting GOP primary battle. Frank Bruno is running on the Democratic side.

In an effort to head off a conservative stampede and to set the record straight, a statewide tea party group is advising its members that no endorsement has been made in the Republican contest for U.S. Senate. "Individual candidates who crown themselves as a 'tea party candidate' have not been endorsed by Florida Alliance and should be questioned as to the specific individual, group or groups who endorse them. If and when a candidate is endorsed by Florida Alliance we will issue a statement," wrote Tom Gaitens, a tea partier from Southwest Florida.

The Republican National Committee is calling a new Spanish-language television ad from the Democratic National Committee airing in Florida "scare tactics and political theatrics." The DNC ad itself was a response to a Florida Spanish-language ad from Karl Rove's Crossroads GPS group.

There was no monthly change in the statewide unemployment rate last month, as an Agency for Workforce Innovation report released Friday shows the jobless rate remained at 10.6 percent in June. The rate is 0.8 percent less than June 2010, but there are still 982,000 unemployed workers in a work force of more than 9.23 million. Florida added 4,300 jobs in June, much less than the 28,000 gained in May, when the state led the nation in job creation. So far this year, the Sunshine State has added 85,500 jobs.

Former Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota is not getting much support in the polls for his bid for the Republican presidential nomination -- but he is getting the backing of a bunch of Florida House members.