Breaking News: "Four qualify to challenge Harris in GOP primary" (11:36 AM)

(Associated Press)

"Four relatively unknown candidates qualified Friday to challenge U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris in the race to win Florida Republicans' nomination for U.S. Senate.

"They are: LeRoy Collins Jr., son of former Florida Gov. LeRoy Collins; Peter Monroe, a Pinellas County developer who helped manage the government's savings and loan bailout; Windermere businessman William "Will" McBride; and Tampa law professor Belinda Noah. The GOP primary is Sept. 5.

"Gov. Jeb Bush and other Republican leaders have been looking for someone to take on Harris because she trails incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson by about 30 percentage points in public opinion polls. Bush said earlier this week that he didn't believe Harris could beat Nelson." (AP 5-12-06)