POPULATION: Florida is the largest and most diverse state to vote so far in the 2008 presidential contest, with a population of 18 million, 20 percent of which is Hispanic and 16 percent black.
ECONOMY: Along with California, Florida has been hit hardest by the US housing slump. Its market is suffering from the biggest condominium glut in decades and Florida leads the nation in mortgage fraud, according to the Mortgage Asset Research Institute. The state is also reeling from rising insurance premiums since eight hurricanes hit in 2004 and 2005.
RETIREES: Florida is home to scores of retirees from colder climates, including New York City, whose former mayor, Rudy Giuliani, hopes to make his mark on the Republican race. It has 3 million people older than 65, according to census figures. The Republican primary will be the first in which Giuliani, who is trailing in polls, has invested much time and effort.
RELIGION: Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, who finished a surprising first place in Iowa but lost in the following contests, is seeking the votes of religious and social conservatives in parts of the state.
MILITARY: Senator John McCain of Arizona, a Vietnam veteran who beat Huckabee in the Republican primary in South Carolina, could benefit from Florida's concentration of military veterans. He picked up the endorsement of Governor Charlie Crist on Saturday. McCain narrowly leads former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney in Florida polls.
2000 VOTE: The state was a battleground in the 2000 US presidential election with hotly contested results that ultimately gave George W. Bush the edge over former vice president Al Gore.
DELEGATES: This year, Democratic candidates pledged not to compete in Florida's primary because the national party has said it will not count the primary vote to punish the state for violating party rules by moving its contest up to Jan. 29. On Friday, Hillary Clinton said she wanted the Democratic Party to reinstate and count delegates in Florida and Michigan, a state that was also barred by the national party.
REUTERS
