As the race for the White House tightens, Republicans and Democrats are battling for every congressional seat they have a chance of winning. And in a North Florida district, Democrats are targeting first-term U.S. Rep. Steve Southerland in an increasingly competitive clash with former state Senate Democratic leader Al Lawson.

The race had not been widely considered up for grabs. Southerland, a tea party favorite from Panama City, has a money advantage over Lawson and upset seven-term Congressman Allen Boyd, D-Monticello, to take the seat in 2010.

A Leon County circuit judge said last week that two South Florida counties can pursue a legal challenge against Gov. Rick Scott about a state crackdown on local gun restrictions, though the House and Senate will be dropped from the case.

Palm Beach County commissioners late last year filed a constitutional challenge to a 2011 law that subjects city and county officials to personal fines and possible removal from office if they try to stiffen gun regulations. Broward County was allowed to formally intervene in the case Wednesday.

Eight prominent lawmakers from around the Sunshine State announced Wednesday they were banding together to form the nucleus of a new Religious Freedom Caucus in the Florida Legislature.

The announcement was made via a press release by the American Religious Freedom Program (ARFP) of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, a think tank based in Washington, D.C. The release said caucuses had been launched in eight other states, and said plans were underway to establish one in each of the nations 50 state legislatures by the end of 2013.

"The president shall have power to fill up all vacancies that may happen during the recess of the Senate."

Editor's note: State Rep. Chris Dorworth and the Orlando Sentinel have a difference of opinion over this column and why it wasn't published in the newspaper.