Former state Rep. Keith Fitzgerald, one of five Democrat incumbents to lose their seats in the Florida House to Republicans in the 2010 elections, announced on Thursday that he will challenge Republican U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan in 2012.

First elected to the Florida House in 2006, Fitzgerald, a professor at New College of Florida, moved up to the leadership, serving as Democratic policy chair, during his two terms in Tallahassee.

With Florida voting early in the Republican presidential primary cycle, two of the leading hopefuls for the GOP nomination -- Gov. Rick Perry of Texas and former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts -- continued to build their teams in the Sunshine State on Thursday.

I am proud to have these hard-working individuals join our campaign efforts in Florida, Perry said in a statement. They are crucial assets to my campaign team as we work together to share my plan to get America working again.

According to his supporters, Senate Majority Leader Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, has the votes and will take over as president of the Florida Senate after the 2014 elections.

With 28 Republicans sitting in the Senate, Gardiner needed the backing of 15 of them to prevail over his opposition, Sen. Jack Latvala, R-St. Petersburg. Supporters of Gardiner told Sunshine State News on Wednesday that their candidate was close to getting 20 signed pledges -- meaning the leadership contest is over.

Republican presidential hopeful former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts focused on Florida on Tuesday, building his team in the Sunshine State and taking aim at primary rival Gov. Rick Perry of Texas.