Withlittle more than three weeks to go until the primary, a poll taken by Quinnipiac University found U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek trailing Jeff Greene in the battle for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate election. Meek released his second TV ad on Friday morning, looking to counter the ads Greene has been running for weeks. Polls show that Meek remains unknown to many Florida voters, including a sizeable number of likely Democratic primary voters, but he does little to introduce himself in the new commercial, preferring to hack away at Greene.

Dr. Rudy Moise, one of the leaders in a crowded Democratic primary to take the place of U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek, received the backing of Hollywood Mayor Peter Bober on Thursday.

Moise is the outsider in the race, running against a field of officeholders -- which is exactly why Bober was backing him.

It is because of Rudys real-world experience as a doctor, successful businessman, devoted family man and colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserve that I wholeheartedly endorse him as my candidate in this race for Congress, said Bober.

A few hours after former Tallahassee Mayor Scott Maddox --the Democratic candidate in the race for agriculture and consumer services commissioner -- announced the backing of the International Union of Police Associations, Republican rival U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam announced his own law-enforcement endorsement by the Florida State Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) for the GOP nod. The group has backed Maddox for the Democratic nod.

With immigration becoming one of the chief issues in the race for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, Attorney General Bill McCollum, trying to catch up with front-runner Rick Scott, sponsored a motion at Thursdays Cabinet meeting for state offices to use E-Verify to ensure that no illegal aliens are hired.

E-Verify is a service provided at no cost by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration that compares completed I-9s filled out by potential employees to information held by the federal government.

The Florida State Board of Administration (SBA), which handles investments for state employees and retirees, announced that it oversaw solid growth in the Florida Retirement System (FRS) pension fund -- adding almost $10 billion to its market value in the 2009-2010 fiscal year and paying more than $4.5 billion to retirees. This represented an increase of more than 14 percent from last year.

Former Tallahassee Mayor Scott Maddox, the Democratic candidate for commissioner of agriculture and consumer services, announced on Thursday that his campaign won the endorsement of the Florida International Union of Police Associations (IUPA).

Rear Admiral LeRoy Collins Jr., executive director of the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs, was killed on Thursday morning when a car hit the bike he was riding in Tallahassee.

Collins was the son of former Gov. LeRoy Collins who served as governor from 1955 until 1961. The younger Collins graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1956 and served for 34 years in the Navy and the Naval Reserves. He worked in real estate and finance after leaving the Navy.

On Thursday morning, Sen. Dan Gelber of Miami Beach --locked in a tight race with Sen. Dave Aronberg of Greenacres for the Democratic nomination for attorney general --unveiled a number of proposals that he would enact if elected:fighting corruption, coordinating law-enforcement efforts, and protecting children, consumers and the environment.

Incoming Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, said on Thursday morning that he still did not receive an answer from a letter that he had sent to Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson earlier in the month on national issues. While Haridopolos said he was flattered that people were speculating he would consider taking a shot against Nelson in 2012, he said he was focusing on his work in the Senate -- though he did not flatly rule out a run in 2012.

Haridopolos said that his increased focus on national issues was a result of his continued work in the Legislature.

While U.S. Rep. Connie Mack has been gaining headlines breaking from his fellow Republicans in opposing the new immigration laws in Arizona, the Florida congressman has also criticized President Barack Obama on international issues, saying that the White House has neglected some of Americas leading allies -- namely Israel.

On Wednesday, Mack offered strong words condemning recent actions from Turkey before launching an attack on Obamas foreign policy.