With the Tampa Bay Times reporting that the Democratic leadership chased Manuel Sykes out of the race to challenge newly elected U.S. Rep. David Jolly, R-Fla., the National Republican Congressional Committee (DCCC) signaled on Thursday they expect the Democrats to try to clear the decks for businessman Joel Cantor to run.

Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will be strong in Florida if she runs for president in 2016 according to a poll from Quinnipiac University released on Thursday morning.

Clinton dominates the Democratic field, getting 64 percent. Vice President Joe Biden stands in distant second with 11 percent followed by U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., with 6 percent. None of the other candidates break 1 percent.

If he runs for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, former Gov. Jeb Bush is well-poised to be the favorite son of the Sunshine State, something that cant be said of U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.

A proposed state constitutional amendment allowing medical marijuana use in Florida is in solid shape to pass in November, a new poll finds.

A poll from Gravis Marketing, unveiled on Wednesday and commissioned by conservative magazine Human Events, finds 60 percent of those surveyed support the proposed amendment while 32 percent oppose it and 8 percent remain unsure. A Gravis poll from February found 57 percent supported the proposed amendment and 31 percent opposed it while 11 percent were unsure.

Attorney General Pam Bondi has the lead over her two Democratic rivals according to a poll from Gravis Marketing commissioned by conservative magazine Human Events which was released on Wednesday.

The poll has Bondi with 45 percent while Florida House Minority Leader Perry Thurston, D-Fort Lauderdale, takes 38 percent as the Democratic candidate. Libertarian attorney Bill Wohlsifer takes 7 percent while 11 percent remain undecided.

Conservative magazine Human Events commissioned a poll from Gravis Marketing which was unveiled on Wednesday, showing Gov. Rick Scott edging former Gov. Charlie Crist, the leading Democratic candidate, in the Florida gubernatorial contest. Earlier in the day, Quinnipiac University found Crist beating Scott by 10 percent.

Florida State University quarterback Jameis Winston, who led the Seminoles to a national title and won the Heisman award, has been cited for shoplifting less than $33 in seafood from a Tallahassee Publix.

Leon County Director of Law Enforcement Michael Wood held a media conference on Wednesday and said Winston was issued an adult civil citation which should lead to 20 hours of community service. According to Wood, Winston said he simply forgot to pay for the crab legs. Winston was investigated but cleared of rape earlier in the year.

With North Florida impacted by major rains and flooding on Wednesday, Florida state CFO Jeff Atwater issued a statement on what Floridians impacted by the storms should do in the aftermath:

Gov. Rick Scott is heading out to Pensacola to meet with leaders in response to the poor weather conditions impacting the Panhandle and the Big Bend.

Gov. Chris Christie, R-N.J., the chairman of the Republican Governors Association (RGA), was scheduled to attend a fundraising event for Gov. Rick Scott and the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) in Lakeland on Wednesday but with heavy rains hitting North Florida and a state of emergency declared in 26 counties, the event has been canceled.

An event Scott and Christie were holding in Largo to showcase the elimination of the manufacturing sales tax was also canceled.