In the final weeks of the presidential campaign, Florida's 29 electoral votes are coveted by both sides. That's why the candidates are visiting so often, and why Governor Rick Scott and former Governor Charlie Crist were talking them up on Thursday.
Scott supports his fellow Republican Mitt Romney. Crist belonged to the GOP while in office, but now backs Democrat Barack Obama.
Crist said he credits Obama for the passage of the stimulus bill, which he said helped Florida make ends meet during the recession.
"Because of what the president and his team had come up with, we were going to be able to retain our teachers, our firefighters, law enforcement officers", said Crist. "I mean, it really was going to keep Florida moving in a direction where we wouldn't fall through the cracks."
Scott, who has promised to boost the state's employment rate, said he wants a federal partner who shares his approach.
"We've reduced regulation. We've streamlined permitting processes. We're focused on the two areas our families know is important to them, education and jobs", said Scott. "And so we need a federal partner who's going to do the same thing we're doing to make sure the American economy does better than any other economy around the world."
Florida is the biggest swing state and while Romney leads in most recent polls, it’s widely thought the vote here will be extremely close.