Paul Renner is one step closer to heading to Tallahassee after a big primary win on Tuesday night.

Renner, an attorney and Navy veteran, lost by the skin of his teeth in a Republican primary to banker Jay Fant for an open Florida House seat in Duval County. But, on Tuesday, Renner bounced back easily, crushing former St. Johns County Commissioner Ron Sanchez and conservative activist Danielle Anderson in the special Republican primary for the House seat vacated by former Rep. Travis Hutson.

U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham, D-Fla., announced on Monday she was named to the U.S. House Agriculture Committee. Graham defeated U.S. Rep. Steve Southerland, R-Fla., back in November in a rare bright spot for Democrats in the Sunshine State in last years election cycle.

Farmers and rural communities are the backbone of North Florida, Graham said on Monday. "Our economy depends on their hard work. Our families depend on them to provide food.

On the Agriculture Committee, I will be a voice our farmers can depend on to represent their interests, Graham added.

U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Fla., announced on Monday he was a co-sponsor of U.S. Rep. Joe Wilsons, R-S.C., Local Control of Education Act which would stop the Obama administration from making states adopt a specific curriculum, and would void any previous federal requirements established for states that have already adopted Common Core.

Rooney explained why he was backing the bill on Monday.

Conservative group Americans for Prosperity (AFP) came out swinging at proposals to use public funds and incentives to lure the entertainment industry to Florida on Tuesday. AFPs Florida chapter showcased an infographic on the matter on Tuesday, insisting film incentives dont help the economy.

Gov. Rick Scott called for $7.4 million for three new state homes for veterans. One of the homes will be in St. Lucie County while the Cabinet needs to decide on the location for the other two.

Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown, the first Democrat to win a mayoral race in that city since Ed Austin in 1991, is in serious trouble according to a poll of likely voters released on Monday.

St. Pete Polls took a poll for Saint PetersBlog showing former Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) Chairman Lenny Curry in good shape against Brown.

Longtime Alachua County educator Hershel Lyons was named as K-12 public schools chancellor by Education Commissioner Pam Stewart on Monday.

School Choice Week starts in Monday with more than 1,400 events across Florida, part of almost 11,100 events across the nation.

Jacksonville leads the Sunshine State with 227 events followed by Miami with 174 and Orlando with 90.

When it comes to providing parents with a diverse array of K-12 education options for their children, Florida is a national leader, said Andrew Campanella, president of National School Choice Week. Parents in Florida have more educational choices for their children than in many other states.

Gov. Rick Scott, R-Fla., announced that the state unemployment rate dropped to 5.6 percent in December as the state added 11,500 jobs. When Scott took office at the start of 2011, the state unemployment rate stood at 11.1 percent.

From his perch as chairman of the U.S. House Veterans Affairs Committee, U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., is calling to give the secretary of Veterans Affairs more power to discipline incompetent senior executive service (SES) employees. Miller introduced a bill giving the VA secretary more flexibility in disciplining underperfoming SES employees, including reducing pensions, reducing time on forced paid administrative leave, reforming appraisals for bonus and adding more transparency.