Former Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Holly Benson filed her paperwork to run in a tight battle for the GOP attorney general nomination, pledging to continue Attorney General Bill McCollums lawsuit against new federal health-care laws backed by President Barack Obama.

Attorney General Bill McCollum filed to run for governor on Thursday morning and took the gloves off to bash GOP primary rival Rick Scott. McCollum was accompanied by incoming House Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, and former Speaker Pro Tempore Dennis Baxley, the founder and former executive director of the Christian Coalition of Florida, who is now running for his old House seat. Baxley ripped into Scotts conservative credentials, especially on abortion.

Health care executive Rick Scott, a political phenomenon who went from virtual unknown to the leading candidate for the Republican gubernatorial nomination in the course of a mere two months, filed his paperwork to make his bid official on Thursday morning. Minutes later Attorney General Bill McCollum --the one-time front-runner in the race, now behind Scott -- filed his paperwork and offered harsh words for his Republican rival. Its official, said Scott as he turned in his paperwork. I am a candidate for governor for the great state of Florida.

Between the filing appearances of GOP gubernatorial candidates Rick Scott and Bill McCollum, former Tallahassee Mayor Scott Maddox filed his paperwork to run for commissioner of agriculture and consumer services, with one of his rivals for the Democratic nomination, former Suwannee County Commissioner Randy Hatch, at his side. Hatch, who had logged more than 1,800 miles campaigning across Florida in his tractor, announced he was pulling out of the race and backing Maddox against Republican candidate U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam.

Prominent business advocacy group Associated Industries of Florida ranked incoming House Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, as among the most business-friendly lawmakers of the 2010 state legislative session. Five lawmakers, all in the House, voted in favor of the group's agenda 99 percent of the time this legislative session. In the Senate, Stephen Wise, R-Jacksonville, scored the highest, supporting 96 percent of the group's agenda.

Sen. Dan Gelber of North Miami Beach scored yet another big endorsement for his campaign for the Democratic attorney general nomination. Facing a close contest with Sen. Dave Aronberg of Greenacres, Gelber just announced he was being backed by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Florida Council 79, which represents more than 100,000 members.

The woman who helped diversify the Republican Party of Hillsborough County over her almost 20-year tenure as its leader died Wednesday at the age of 88. Margie Kincaid, who served as chairwoman of the party from 1984 to 2003, is credited with opening the doors of the party to non-traditional Republicans and minorities at a time when Republicans were struggling against a powerful Democratic majority. Kincaid, who succeeded her husband as head of the party, was removed as the party chairwoman at the end of her tenure due to allegations of financial misconduct.

The Tampa Tribune is reporting that CFO Alex Sink, the leading Democratic gubernatorial candidate, is expected to name a running mate for lieutenant governor early in the process.

U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Tequesta, has been appointed to the House Committee on Agriculture, becoming the only member of the Florida delegation serving on either the House or Senate ag panels. Rooney's selection was a good one, considering that his 16th Congressional District is one of the largest farming areas in the country. The district spans the width of the Florida peninsula north of Miami and south of Orlando.

From his perch on the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, U.S. Rep. Connie Mack, the ranking Republican on the committee, continued to blast Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez and the Castro brothers today.

In the run-up to the fall elections, a new USA Today poll shows waning enthusiasm by Democrats. The survey found just 35 percent of Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters who said they were "more enthusiastic than usual" about voting in November. That's a 22-point drop since March, and the lowest level for Democrats since 1998. By contrast, 53 percent of Republicans say they are "more enthusiastic than usual." That's a 16 percentage-point drop since March, but still an 18-point edge over Democrats. Getting John McCain off the top of the ticket obviously helps.

Sen. Dan Gelber, D-North Miami, filed his paperwork to run for attorney general this afternoon and is reminding Floridians about his political and legal background.

Both U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam and former Tallahassee Mayor Scott Maddox, who are both running for commissioner of agriculture and consumer services, claimed to have the backing of Bradford County Sheriff Gordon Smith. It turns out Smith was backing Maddox and is now backing Putnam.

Apparently, news travels slowly up to Washington, D.C., where Politico.com is speculating about Florida Democrats jumping ship for Charlie Crist. Sunshine State News reported back on May 7 that state and national Democrats were already flirting with the newly declared independent governor. My article was titled "National Dems Flirting With Crist."

Its been a busy morning at the Division of Elections in Tallahassee. State CFO Alex Sink filed her paperwork to run for governor and the Democratic candidate spoke to the media and to cheering supporters. As the Sink team was setting up, former Leon County Democratic Party Chairman Rick Minor was walking out, having just filed his paperwork to take on Rep. Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda. Not long after the Sink team left, Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp filed his paperwork in a tight battle for the Republican attorney general nomination.