A Rasmussen Reports poll of likely Florida Republican primary voters released on Monday morning finds that former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney holds a commanding lead in the Sunshine State, which holds its primary on Tuesday.

GOP presidential hopeful Fred Karger, a veteran Republican strategist and campaign operative, told Sunshine State News that he has no intention of bolting the party. While he is not on the ballot in Florida, Karger is focusing on Michigan. Maryland, North Carolina and Puerto Rico are also on his radar screen.

Battling Ron Paul for distant third place in the polls, Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum is getting out of the Sunshine State before the primary on Tuesday.

On Monday, Santorum will give a jobs speech in Cottleville, Mo., before holding a town hall meeting at a Pizza Ranch -- a chain he is very familiar with after his grassroots win in Iowa -- in Luverne, Minn. When Florida Republicans vote on Tuesday, Santorum will be holding a campaign rally in Lone Tree, Colo., and will watch the results come in at an event in Las Vegas.

With the Florida Republican presidential primary looming on Tuesday, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has taken a large lead, according to a poll released early Monday from Quinnipiac University.

The poll of likely voters finds that Romney takes 43 percent followed by former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich with 29 percent. Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania and U.S. Rep. Ron Paul are tied for third with 11 percent each. Seven percent say they are undecided. Less than a quarter -- 24 percent -- say they could change their minds before they vote.

Republican presidential hopeful Congressman Ron Paul of Texas is downplaying the Florida primary on Tuesday to focus on other states. After the debate in Jacksonville on Thursday night, Paul is heading up to Maine, which holds its caucus from Feb. 4-11.

Paul will campaign in Bangor, Waterville and Lewiston on Friday and will hit Gorham, Freeport and Alfred on Saturday.

While she is no longer in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota offered her thoughts on the role of the Florida primary. In a taped segment for the OReilly Factor on Fox News that will air on Thursday night, Bachmann, who announced earlier in the week that she will run for another term in Congress, said the Florida primary on Tuesday will be crucial.

With the Republican Presidential Preference Primary looming on Tuesday, the stakes are high for both Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich for Thursday nights debate at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, according to a Sunshine State News poll.

The poll, which was conducted by Harrisburg, Pa.-based Voter Survey Service (VSS), finds that Florida Republicans have been tuning in to the procession of debates between the Republican presidential hopefuls with 85 percent of them having watched at least one. Fifty-five percent say the debates have influenced their vote.

Florida state Rep. Scott Plakon, R-Longwood, announced on Thursday he is backing former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania for the Republican presidential nomination. Plakon, who represents parts of Orange and Seminole counties, was an early supporter of businessman Herman Cain earlier in the race.

Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole of Kansas, the Republican presidential candidate who lost out to Bill Clinton in 1996, tore into Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich, who was speaker of the U.S. House. Dole has backed Mitt Romney for the GOP nomination -- and his statement attacking Gingrich was forwarded by the Romney team on Thursday.

A Monmouth University poll unveiled on Thursday finds that Mitt Romney holds a solid lead over Newt Gingrich in the Florida Republican presidential primary which will occur on Tuesday.

Romney garners 39 percent with Gingrich in second with 32 percent. Rick Santorum is in third with 11 percent followed by Ron Paul with 9 percent.

The poll of 540 likely Florida Republican voters was taken from Jan. 24-25 and had a margin of error of +/- 4.2 percent.

Keep an eye on Sunshine State News which will unveil a new poll on Friday morning.