Free Republic

Republican Marco Rubio and Republican-turned-independent Charlie Crist are tied this month in Florida’s topsy-turvy race for the U.S. Senate. A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in the Sunshine State finds Rubio and Crist each earning 37% of the vote, while Democratic hopeful Kendrick Meek trails with 15% support. Eleven percent (11%) are undecided. A month ago, Rubio held an eight-point advantage over Crist. Sixty percent (60%) of Florida voters now approve of the job Crist is doing as governor, up three points from a month ago. Thirty-seven percent (37%) disapprove. As governor, Crist has been very visible...

Tallahassee, FL (LifeNews.com) -- In the latest development in the race for the open U.S. Senate seat in Florida, Governor Charlie Crist is coming under fire for removing the pro-life section of his campaign website. This comes on the day the legislature sent him a bill that would allow women to see an ultrasound of their baby before an abortion. Crist has already hinted he will veto the legislation, which also allows Florida to opt out of some of the abortion funding under the new national health care law President Barack Obama signed. That he would potentially veto a pro-life...

WASHINGTON—Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, determining he cannot win the Republican primary for U.S. Senate, has decided to exit the race and run instead in the general election without a party affiliation, according to two advisers. The governor has scheduled a formal announcement for 5 p.m. Thursday at a waterfront park in his hometown of St. Petersburg, Fla. A campaign official declined Wednesday afternoon to discuss Mr. Crist's plans. The advisers, both of whom said they spoke with Mr. Crist Tuesday night, said the governor was also planning a major fund-raiser for Sunday in Miami to try to keep most of...

April 29, 2006 Nelson announces bill to block Cuban oil drilling near Keys Associated Press MIAMI -- U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson announced legislation Friday to keep Cuba from oil drilling in the waters between the Caribbean island nation and the Florida Keys. The Democratic senator's bill would block the renewal of a 1977 international agreement allowing Cuba to conduct commercial activity near the Keys -- unless Cuba would agree not to put oil rigs in the Florida Straits close to the low-lying island chain off Florida's southern tip. "At risk are the Florida Keys and the state's tourism economy, not...

(AP) WASHINGTON, DC As Sen. Bill Nelson sat on the Armed Services Committee listening to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld getting grilled about the war in Iraq, his likely opponent, U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris, was returning from her second trip to the country. Both have strong thoughts about the situation in Iraq and agree on some major points, like keeping U.S. troops in the country until Iraqi forces and police can be sufficiently trained to keep the country secure from insurgents and al-Qaida. But each speaks in a different tone: Nelson is clearly frustrated with "the mess" in Iraq and Harris...

I am sorry to see Rep. Foley drop out of this race...albeit for "family reasons". He really would have given Sen. Graham a run for his money. I am curious...does anyone else have the money-raising and moderate voter appeal that Rep. Foley has? He is a true, fiscal conservative.... Can we still pick up this seat without him? I know a lot of hard-right activists have issues of the alleged allegations of his homosexual tendencies. To me...not an issue.

By Anthony Man Staff writer July 25, 2003 Boca Raton · Less than a week after filing to become a U.S. Senate candidate, Johnnie Byrd spent Thursday campaigning in the home county of rival Mark Foley. And some supporters of Foley, a Republican congressman from Palm Beach Gardens, came away impressed with Byrd, the speaker of the Florida House. Peter Feaman, the Boca Raton Republican Club president whose group was host to Byrd as a luncheon speaker, said the candidate's performance was so good that he would almost certainly pick up some support. "I'm not saying I'm abandoning Foley, but...

Florida House Speaker Johnnie Byrd could liven up local Republican politics when he spends a day in Palm Beach County next week. Given all the campaign money here, it's a natural early stop for Byrd, who just announced his interest in the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate. It's also home base for U.S. Rep. Mark Foley, R-Palm Beach Gardens. He's amassed a huge treasury while campaigning for months, including multiple trips to Byrd's Tampa Bay back yard. Byrd is making the standard stops: a Republican club luncheon in Boca Raton and the party's annual Lobsterfest in Delray Beach. He's also...