@PatriciaMazzei & @MarcACaputo

A leading rival of U.S. Rep. Joe Garcia released a new poll Monday that shows the incumbent has a double-digit lead but a major vulnerability: the absentee-ballot fraud scandal haunting his campaign.

The poll shows Garcia, a Miami Democrat, leading 46 percent to 34 percent in a potential 2014 matchup against Republican Carlos Curbelo, the Miami-Dade School Board member who commissioned the survey.

U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross welcomes Ben Cantrell to his Washington, D.C. office. Ben will serve as a legislative correspondent/staff assistant. 

“Ben’s commitment to constituent services will greatly benefit Floridians of the 15th Congressional District,” said Ross. “I’m glad that he’s joining our wonderful staff team.” 

Ben Cantrell previously served as a staff assistant for U.S. Rep. Spencer Bachus (AL-06) and as a legislative intern for U.S. Rep. Tom Graves (GA-14). 

Lorraine Margeson, a prominent environmental activist and an outspoken member of  the ‘Stop the Lens’ movement, has filed to challenge District 2 incumbent Jim Kennedy, setting the stage for a high-profile referendum on the popularity of the St. Petersburg City Council. 

The ‘bill train’ has stopped.

As of Monday, the Florida Legislature’s website showed no more bills to send to Gov. Rick Scott.

July 2 is Scott’s final deadline to review and act on the last of the 56 bills left on his desk.

Of the 283 bills…

The Florida Supreme Court has agreed to partly expedite the review of the redistricting challenge brought by the League of Women Voters and a coalition of  individuals and voter groups this month by giving the parties until June 21 to file their briefs.

The court did not say whether it would also conduct an expedited hearing in the case, thereby interrupting the court's traditional summer break, but it did not deny the request for the fast-track hearing either.

By JIM TURNER
THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

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US Senator Marco Rubio’s book, An American Son, has just been released in paperback, following the June 2012 release of the book’s hardcover edition.

Rubio’s memoir has been well received by Amazon readers — earning 4.5 out of 5 stars by 103 reviewers. The book is a tribute to Rubio’s family, particularly his parents and grandfather, who “came to this country as hard-working immigrants, and they loved their new home with all their heart.”

Editor’s note: This post marks the second in an occasional series in which Florida’s lawmakers discuss how they are spending their time away from Tallahassee, or if you will, their Summer “vacation.” Featured today is Senator Wilton Simpson.

Kentucky has joined Gov. Rick Scott’s list of states where he’s asking business leaders to relocate to the Sunshine State.

What do they all have in common? Kentucky—as does Minnesota, Illinois, California, Connecticut, New York and Maryland—has a Democratic governor.

“Kentucky’s formula of higher taxes and more spending…

The Tampa Bay Times and the Plant City Observer have created a partnership to publish a weekly newspaper – the Plant City Times & Observer. 

A top official at Citizens Property Insurance, chief financial officer Sharon Binnun, resigned Monday, the company president Barry Gilway announced Monday in a note to employees.

Binnun served the company as a steadfast defender of some of Citizen's most controversial policies and faced withering criticism from lawmakers and consumer advocates over those ideas as well as over travel expenses racked up by Citizens executives.

Another day, another big supporter lines up for Darden Rice in her bid for St. Petersburg City Council District 4.

Today, the endorsement comes from House District 68 Rep. Dwight Dudley. Dudley, a Democrat, represents northern St. Petersburg and Pinellas Park, which overlaps a majority of St. Petersburg District 4.