It may not have all the glamor and hype of the U.S. Senate and gubernatorial races, but the commissioner of agriculture is not a race -- or a job -- to be ignored.

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, a former RNC chairman and a possible presidential candidate in 2012, will be attending the RPOF’s dinner on Friday night. Barbour, who is currently chairman of the Republican Governors Association, will be there with GOP gubernatorial candidate Rick Scott -- who Barbour ripped into during the Republican primary …

Democrats are taking whatever opportunity they can find to show they are unified. 

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee continues to ramp up his operations in Florida. Huckabee, who ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and is considering making another attempt in 2012, filed papers for his HuckPAC to work at the state and local level here in the Sunshine State. Huckabee, who moved to Florida from Arkansas, named Frank Tsamotales, a lobbyist and fund-raiser, to head up HuckPAC’s operations in the state ...

With the House and Senate adjourning instead of forwarding a proposed constitutional amendment banning oil drilling in Florida waters, candidates for statewide office promptly offered their opinions on the Legislature’s quick session.

Florida Democratic Party chairwoman Karen Thurman offered strong words of praise Friday for her party’s two candidates who have already been chosen -- former Rep. Loranne Ausley for state CFO and former Tallahassee Mayor Scott Maddox for commissioner of agriculture and consumer services. Thurman also revealed lines of attack against the Republican candidates for those offices.

Filing closed for state elections at noon on Friday -- setting the stage for some interesting contests in Florida come November.

Having already won the state AFL-CIO's endorsement for commissioner of agriculture, Scott Maddox could breathe a sigh of relief. So, with the heat off, the former Tallahassee mayor offered the union convention a high-octane speech Saturday, tearing full force into Florida Republicans.

Maddox had won the backing of the state AFL-CIO in March for the primary and general elections.

“There’s only one statewide candidate who’s been endorsed,” said Florida AFL-CIO President Mike Williams. “That’s how good a friend Scott Maddox is.”

On Monday, as Floridians wondered what impact the massive oil spill in the Gulf would have on Florida, former Tallahassee Mayor Scott Maddox called on all gubernatorial and cabinet office candidates in Florida to sign a pledge opposing any offshore oil drilling in state waters.

Maddox, the leading Democratic candidate running for commissioner of agriculture and consumer services, held a media event to unveil his pledge and reiterate his opposition to any offshore drilling.

“I urge each candidate to sign this pledge,” said Maddox.