Its a good day for boxing references. On Sept. 22, 1927, Gene Tunney defeated Jack Dempsey to keep the heavyweight title in the famous long count match. On Sept. 22, 1932, Ingemar Johansson -- the Swedish boxer who upset Floyd Patterson to win the heavyweight championship in 1959 -- was born.

Businessman John Lindsey is challenging Rep. John Wood of Haines City in the Republican primary to represent parts of Polk County in the Florida House. Lindsey sat down to talk with Sunshine State News in Orlando at the Republican Party of Floridas (RPOF) Presidency 5 event.

Businesswoman Karen Harrington ran as the Republican candidate against South Florida Democrat U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Harrington wants a rematch in 2012 and, at the RPOFs Presidency 5 event on Thursday, she sat down to talk to Sunshine State News.

U.S. Rep. Thad McCotter was supposed to join the field of Republican candidates speaking to the Freedom and Faith Coalition in Orlando on Thursday, but he did not appear. Less than two hours later, he announced why he was not in Orlando -- he was pulling out of the presidential race to run again for his congressional seat. He also backed former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts for the Republican nomination.

The Florida Womens Political Network -- which is affiliated with the National Republican Womens Network -- has a booth set up at the Republican Party of Floridas (RPOF) Presidency 5 event in Orlando. With almost 20 chapters set up across the Sunshine State, when the Florida Womens Political Network calls on Republicans in the Legislature, the elected officials listen -- and they will have a lot to say on a host of issues in 2012.

Add another name to the list of prominent Florida Republicans backing the presidential bid of Gov. Rick Perry of Texas -- Van Poole.

Poole led the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) 1989 to 1993 and served in the state Senate as minority leader and leader pro tempore. He currently works for Dutko Poole McKinley in Tallahassee.

While Texas Gov. Rick Perry is leading the field of Republican presidential hopefuls in most national polls, New Hampshire -- home of the first primary -- is solidly behind former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts.

According to a Suffolk University/7NEWS (WHDH TV)poll of likely Republican primary voters released late on Wednesday, Romney was routing the field in the Granite State. Romney took 41 percent of those surveyed with U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas in second with 14 percent. Former Gov. Jon Huntsman of Utah stood in third with 10 percent.

Gov. Rick Perry of Texas announced his leadership team for the Republican Party of Floridas (RPOF) Presidency 5 (P5) event in Orlando later this week, which includes some of the heavy hitters in Florida politics. Perry will be taking part in a straw poll at P5 on Saturday.

Perry announced that Florida House Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, would serve as a chairman of his efforts in the Sunshine State along with a host of Republican officials and conservative leaders as co-chairmen.

Restaurant owner Karen Harrington was the Republican nominee who challenged South Florida Democrat U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz in 2010 and is hoping for a rematch in 2012. Harrington has been on the attack in recent months and slammed Wasserman Schultz, who is chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, on campaign finance reform in a statement releasedTuesday.