With 2016 around the corner, the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) will be hosting the Sunshine Summit in Orlando from Nov. 12-14 and the stakes will be high. The presidential hopefuls will take most of the spotlight but there’s another important race already taking shape as Rubio has said he will not run for a second Senate term. Florida Republicans Ron DeSantis, David Jolly, Carlos Lopez-Cantera and Todd Wilcox are already off and running and they will be at the Sunshine Summit trying to win support for their Senate bids.

With 2016 around the corner, the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) will be hosting the Sunshine Summit in Orlando from Nov. 12-14 and the stakes will be high. The presidential hopefuls will take most of the spotlight but there’s another important race already taking shape as Rubio has said he will not run for a second Senate term. Florida Republicans Ron DeSantis, David Jolly, Carlos Lopez-Cantera and Todd Wilcox are already off and running and they will be at the Sunshine Summit trying to win support for their Senate bids. 

On Friday, Gov. Rick Scott announced Florida’s unemployment rate dropped to 5.2 percent in September as 8,700 new jobs in the private-sector were created. 

The money chase is on in the Democratic primary to replace U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., in 2016. Currently running for the Republican presidential nomination, Rubio has said he will not seek a second term in the Senate next year. 

Two former governors said this week they are open to running for president on the Libertarian Party line.

Even as congressional redistricting remains up in the air in Florida, congressional candidates in the southern part of the state are trying to pin national leaders on each other. 

Two Florida Democratic congressmen running to replace U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., offered contrasting styles on Wednesday as they look ahead to 2016. 

The two Democratic leaders in the Florida Legislature came out swinging on Wednesday, looking to clobber Gov. Rick Scott and the GOP leadership in Tallahassee. 

Speaking at the annual AP Florida Legislative Planning Session in Tallahassee, state Senate Democratic Leader Arthenia Joyner of Tampa and House Democratic Leader Mark Pafford of West Palm Beach took aim at Republicans as the Legislature gets ready for a special session, its third of the year, this time on Florida Senate redistricting. 

Three of the Republican hopefuls came to Tallahassee on Wednesday, making their cases as they vie to replace U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., in 2016. Currently running for the Republican presidential nomination, Rubio has said he will not seek a second term Senate. 

With the Legislature meeting in a special session next week followed by the regular session in January, the leaders of the two chambers weighed in on their agendas on Wednesday.