After 10 Glorious Years, Sunshine State News and I Are Passing the Baton

U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., announced on Thursday that he was endorsing Wilton Simpson for a seat in the Florida Senate. Simpson, a businessman based in Dade City, is running to represent parts of Hernando, Pasco and Sumter counties. I am proud to support Wilton Simpsons bid for the state Senate, said Bilirakis. So many people are hurting and looking for jobs that just arent available. I know Wilton will work hard to bring about real economic growth and make sure Florida has the best job opportunities in the country.

On Thursday, former Gov. Charles Buddy Roemer of Louisiana pulled the plug on his underdog bid for the presidency.

Republican congressional hopeful Ron DeSantis, running in the newly created district hugging the Atlantic coast south of Jacksonville to Daytona Beach, received the backing of state CFO Jeff Atwater on Wednesday.

Nearly doubling his lead over Rep. Sandy Adams, Rep. John Mica has opened a 30-point advantage in the 7th Congressional District, according to a new poll. The survey, conducted by Conquest Communications of Richmond, Va., showed Mica with 55.3 percent of likely voters versus 24.8 percent for Adams. The results indicate a 9.3 percentage point increase in support for Mica and a 5.2 percentage point decrease in support for Adams since a Feb. 22-23 Public Opinion Strategies poll of 300 voters commissioned by Adams, when Mica led Adams by 16 points.