Vice-presidential candidates have traditionally filled the role of attack dogs, ripping into their opponents. The same thing can be said of candidates for lieutenant governor -- a role that Rep. Jennifer Carroll, R-Jacksonville, assumed on Monday.

Carroll, Republican candidate Rick Scotts running mate for lieutenant governor, attacked the Democratic nominee state CFO Alex Sinks record in guarding state employees pensions.

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Marco Rubio is not the only politician attacking Gov. Charlie Crist, who is running without party affiliation in the Senate election, for switching positions on issues. The campaign team of U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek, the Democratic nominee in the U.S. Senate race, is hitting the governor for backing offshore drilling, which he denounced on Monday in a meeting with the Orlando Sentinel editorial board.

On Monday, Sen. Dan Gelber of Miami Beach, the Democratic attorney general candidate, won the backing of the Florida Alliance for Retired Americans (FLARA) -- a group with more than 200,000 members across the Sunshine State.

As a top federal prosecutor, Dan took on the crooks who prey upon Florida seniors, and we know hell continue to take them on as attorney general, said Tony Fransetta, the president of FLARA. Dan has been a tireless advocate for retirees in the Florida Legislature, and we couldnt ask for a better candidate to be Floridas top cop.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who made a spirited bid for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and is widely expected to do so again in 2012, will be heading to Florida to campaign with Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Scott.

On Monday, the campaign team of Republican gubernatorial Rick Scott, unveiled its candidates plan on taxes and insurance.

Today, I want to talk about taxes and insurance -- two very important issues that must be addressed in order to put Floridians back to work and turn around our housing crisis, said Scott at a town hall event in Miami.

Scott used the event to take a shot at his Democratic rival, state CFO Alex Sink.

Gov. Charlie Crist, who is running for the U.S. Senate without party affiliation, launched a new commercial on Monday attacking former House Speaker Marco Rubio, the Republican nominee in the race, for backing earmarks and special projects. While Crist had pledged not to go negative, with Rubio leading in the polls by double digits, the governor is now trying to hammer the GOP nominee.

On Monday, the campaign team of Pam Bondi, the Republican attorney general nominee, attempted to draw differences on gang issues between its candidate and Democratic nominee Sen. Dan Gelber of Miami Beach.

"As a prosecutor, I handled many cases of gang-related violence and crime, and I know firsthand that gangs are a very real and growing danger in our state," said Bondi. "As attorney general, I will do everything in my power to fight crime and keep Floridians safe.Locking up dangerous gang criminals is a personal and top priority of mine."

Sarah Palin is scheduled to make a stop in Miami early next month to help raise money for conservative candidates.

Her trip, on Oct. 6 at the American Airlines Arena, is scheduled five days before President Barack Obama is due in Miami to try to bridge the enthusiasm gap among Democrats.

From SFLaConservative.com:

"SflaConservative is proudly partnering with The Liberty and Freedom Foundation to bring the incomparable Sarah Palin to the American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami on Wednesday, Oct. 6.

The Values Voters Summit closed on Saturday with an upset in a straw poll for 2012 presidential hopefuls.

Senate President Jeff Atwater of North Palm Beach, the Republican CFO candidate, was thrilled to be endorsed by the NRA on Friday -- the day when America celebrates the passage of the Constitution. The NRA gave Atwater an A-plus for his record on Second Amendment issues.

"On a day that celebrates the wisdom of the founders who established our nation and created our Constitution, it is a great honor to have my work to protect our freedoms acknowledged," said Atwater.