Freshman U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross, R-Fla., endorsed businesswoman Karen Harrington in the Republican primary to take on U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., best known for leading the Democratic National Committee.

The firefight between two Republicans looking for their party's nomination to challenge Democrat incumbent U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson intensified on Tuesday, as one candidate insisted that the other would lose to Nelson and help keep Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., as Senate majority leader.

On Tuesday, Crossroads Grassroots Policy Strategies (Crossroads GPS), a conservative super-PAC with ties to many prominent Republicans including strategist Karl Rove, unveiled a new commercial hitting the airwaves in Florida. The ad rips into President Barack Obama for his management of the economy and federal spending.

A poll from Rasmussen Reports released on Tuesday finds that more Americans are starting to think that George Zimmerman shot Trayvon Martin in self-defense.

The poll of American adults finds that 24 percent of American adults think Zimmerman is guilty of murder -- down from 33 percent in a Rasmussen poll from late March and 30 percent in another poll taken in early April.

Back in March, 15 percent thought Zimmerman acted in self-defense -- but that number has jumped up to 40 percent in the new poll.

Despite former U.S. Rep. Dave Weldon jumping in the race last week and the continuing efforts of former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux, the Republican establishment keeps showing signs of coalescing behind U.S. Rep. Connie Macks bid to challenge Democrat U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson. Last week, Mitt Romney and U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross announced they were backing Mack -- and are now joined by Gov. Luis Fortu of Puerto Rico.

Fortu served in the U.S. House with Mack, something he referred to in his endorsement of the Florida congressman.

On Friday, former U.S. Rep. Dave Weldon announced that he was going to enter the Republican primary to challenge Democrat incumbent U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson.

Former state Rep. Aaron Bean got a big boost for his bid to win a state Senate seat on Friday when he unveiled the endorsement of state CFO Jeff Atwater. Bean is running in the Republican primary to represent parts of Duval and Nassau counties and has strong opponents in the primary, including Rep. Mike Weinstein and attorney Wyman Duggan.

With the budgetary dances in Washington continuing, a Florida congressman has a proposal to speed things along.

U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., released a Web video in which he talks about his legislation to withhold congressional pay unless a federal budget is passed.

U.S. Rep. Connie Mack got a boost for his bid to challenge Democrat incumbent U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in November when he won heavy praise from former Gov. Mitt Romney, the presumptive Republican presidential candidate.

Campaigning in St. Petersburg on Wednesday, Romney announced that he was endorsing Mack who has been a longtime supporter of his presidential ambitions.

On Wednesday, Crossroads Grassroots Policy Strategies (Crossroads GPS), a conservative political group affiliated with Republican strategist Karl Rove, unveiled a new ad that will run in Florida and nine other battleground states that hammers President Barack Obamas record on economic issues.