Former Gov. Charlie Crist, the front-runner for the Democratic nomination to challenge Gov. Rick Scott, headed to Tallahassee on Thursday and ramped up the attacks on his Republican opponent.

Im running for governor to try to serve you again because Im disappointed, Crist said. My heart is broken for educators, for people who care about the environment, for the middle class and the economy and the greater job opportunities we should be having in the Sunshine State,

Former U.S. Rep. Allen West, R-Fla., continues to double down on his support of Maryland congressional candidate Dan Bongino, a former Secret Service agent.

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., voted against the $1.1 trillion federal spending bill on Thursday night. The bill was the result of an agreement between U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis.

A poll released Thursday shows Republicans with ties to the Sunshine State in position in New Hampshire, home of the first presidential primary, if Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey -- currently under scrutiny after it was revealed members of his administration caused traffic nightmares regarding closing lanes near the George Washington Bridge as political payback -- slips.

JCPenney announced on Wednesday that it was closing 33 stores across the nation including two stores in Florida. The closings, which will extend until May, will result in 2,000 lost jobs.

Gainesville attorney Jon Uman has switched gears, ending his bid for an Alachua County judical position to run for the Florida House seat currently held by Rep. Keith Perry, R-Gainesville. Uman filed the paperwork to run for the House seat, which represents all of Dixie and Gilchrist counties and part of Alachua County, earlier this week.

As a congressman, U.S. Rep. Dan Webster, R-Fla., is paid $174,000 a year. For the third year in a row, Webster is accepting $169,300 -- a congressmans salary back in 2008 -- and sending the remaining $4,700 to pay down the national debt.

A new poll shows David Jolly, the winner of Tuesdays Republican primary, with a slight lead over former state CFO Alex Sink, the Democratic candidate, in the special election for a Tampa Bay congressional seat. St. Pete Polls took a poll of likely voters for Saint PetersBlog which shows Jolly taking 47 percent, Sink at 43 percent, Libertarian Lucas Overby with 4 percent and 6 percent undecided.

Freshman U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., was one of three Florida congressmen to vote against the government funding bill on Wednesday. The bill passed despite the opposition of DeSantis, U.S. Rep. Rich Nugent, R-Fla., and U.S. Rep. Bill Posey, R-Fla.

This bill fails to reform an unaccountable government, increases spending by tens of billions, and solely targets retired military personnel the one group of Americans who have given the most to our country for negative treatment, DeSantis said. We can do much better for American taxpayers and veterans.

U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., voted to support the 2014 government funding bill on Wedensday. Buchanan cited the flood insurance delay against Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and $20 million being sent to fight citrus greening as reasons he backed it.