It’s not talked about much, but the rivalry between Florida’s top business associations is real, and it’s beginning to show itself more in the 2010 elections.

The Florida Chamber of Commerce and Associated Industries of Florida have long sparred for the position of top dog. And in an election year, where creating jobs and improving the economy are top priorities, the organizations are jockeying to increase their power, to slug their way into the spheres of influence that will help them accomplish their goals.

Barney Bishop has been the president and CEO of the loftier AIF since 2005, and Mark Wilson leads the Florida Chamber.

In the first paragraph of each of their biographies, it’s clear both want to be known as the leading voice for Florida business and the one that legislators and politicians think of first when they want to appeal to the business community.

“AIF was founded in 1920 and is most commonly referred to by the state press as ‘the most powerful business association in the state,’” reads Bishop’s bio.

Wilson’s bio uses similar language when it states, “Wilson serves as president and chief executive officer of Florida’s largest and most influential business advocacy organization.” In truth however, the chamber is known for its networking and association with smaller businesses across the state, while AIF enjoys the more powerful lobbying force for larger corporations.

The Florida Chamber of Commerce, Associated Industries of Florida and the Florida Retail Federation all represent business interests in the state, but the way they do it often differs and sometimes creates a sense of enmity among them.

“Absolutely there’s a rivalry,” said Bishop. “I think it’s more about style and approach than it is about issues.”

Bishop will candidly admit that the chamber has some strong advantages. Its membership is about 14 times as large as AIF's, and with branches all over the state, it has grass-roots capabilities that AIF can’t match.

“But I think we’re the leader in the endorsement field," Bishop said. "We’re pretty dogged in what we do and how we do it.

"We draw a line in the sand and say if you cross it, we'll fight you," said Bishop. "That's the tenacity and persistence in what makes us different."

AIF’s endorsement process is fairly straightforward. The organization requires candidates to fill out a questionnaire and it conducts interviews to determine if their views best meet the members' needs.

Wilson says he doesn’t think there’s a rivalry at all.

“If this were a football team, the running back and the quarterback aren’t rivals,” he said. “They’re just different parts of the team.”