At a June fundraiser headlined by White House guru Karl Rove, incumbent Florida Rep. Clay Shaw told U.S. News that his race against the well-heeled lawyer Ron Klein would be "more expensive" than previous races. But that was all. "Every time I run, I have led the ticket," he said, noting that he received more votes in his district than the president and popular governor Jeb Bush in the 2004 election.

Democratic challenger Ron Klein got a big boost from the Palm Beach Post in his bid to unseat incumbent Rep. Clay Shaw.

The Rep. Mark Foley fallout is sending shockwaves through Florida politics. Rep. Clay Shaw, who's fighting to keep his seat in one of the tightest and costliest re-election campaigns in the country, is now at risk because of his former colleague's online behavior.

For months, it's been widely considered one of the most competitive House races in the country. But much of that speculation focused on fundraising tallies and previous races, not on hard polling data.

The race in Florida's 22nd Congressional District has been called white hot. But it's also uniquely green.