Bill McCollums campaign team continued their attacks on Rick Scott, the health care executive now leading the Republican gubernatorial contest.

In the spirit of openness and transparency, Bill McCollum will release his tax returns in the next 14 days, said McCollum communications director Kristy Campbell. We challenge Rick Scott to do the same.

The McCollum campaign continued to blast Scotts record in the private sector.

With Republican Craig Miller starting to run television commercials on his congressional campaign, the Florida Democratic Party blasted the former Ruth's Chris CEO on Thursday.

The real Craig Miller opposes common-sense limits on drunk driving, was fired as CEO of Ruth's Chris Steak House for poor financial management, and was given a multimillion-dollar severance package, said a release from the Democrats.

The National Rifle Association and the Unified Sportsmen of Florida, representing 6 million Floridian gun owners, announced they were backing U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam, a Republican from Polk County, to be Floridas next commissioner of agriculture and consumer services.

Former Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Holly Benson filed her paperwork to run in a tight battle for the GOP attorney general nomination, pledging to continue Attorney General Bill McCollums lawsuit against new federal health-care laws backed by President Barack Obama.

Attorney General Bill McCollum filed to run for governor on Thursday morning and took the gloves off to bash GOP primary rival Rick Scott. McCollum was accompanied by incoming House Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, and former Speaker Pro Tempore Dennis Baxley, the founder and former executive director of the Christian Coalition of Florida, who is now running for his old House seat. Baxley ripped into Scotts conservative credentials, especially on abortion.

Health care executive Rick Scott, a political phenomenon who went from virtual unknown to the leading candidate for the Republican gubernatorial nomination in the course of a mere two months, filed his paperwork to make his bid official on Thursday morning. Minutes later Attorney General Bill McCollum --the one-time front-runner in the race, now behind Scott -- filed his paperwork and offered harsh words for his Republican rival.

Its official, said Scott as he turned in his paperwork. I am a candidate for governor for the great state of Florida.

Between the filing appearances of GOP gubernatorial candidates Rick Scott and Bill McCollum, former Tallahassee Mayor Scott Maddox filed his paperwork to run for commissioner of agriculture and consumer services, with one of his rivals for the Democratic nomination, former Suwannee County Commissioner Randy Hatch, at his side.

Hatch, who had logged more than 1,800 miles campaigning across Florida in his tractor, announced he was pulling out of the race and backing Maddox against Republican candidate U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam.

Prominent business advocacy group Associated Industries of Florida ranked incoming House Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, as among the most business-friendly lawmakers of the 2010 state legislative session.

Five lawmakers, all in the House, voted in favor of the group's agenda 99 percent of the time this legislative session. In the Senate, Stephen Wise, R-Jacksonville, scored the highest, supporting 96 percent of the group's agenda.

Sen. Dan Gelber of North Miami Beach scored yet another big endorsement for his campaign for the Democratic attorney general nomination. Facing a close contest with Sen. Dave Aronberg of Greenacres, Gelber just announced he was being backed by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Florida Council 79, which represents more than 100,000 members.

The woman who helped diversify the Republican Party of Hillsborough County over her almost 20-year tenure as its leader died Wednesday at the age of 88.

Margie Kincaid, who served as chairwoman of the party from 1984 to 2003, is credited with opening the doors of the party to non-traditional Republicans and minorities at a time when Republicans were struggling against a powerful Democratic majority. Kincaid, who succeeded her husband as head of the party, was removed as the party chairwoman at the end of her tenure due to allegations of financial misconduct.