Mack, Nelson make final push for Senate seat

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Connie Mack IV stressed the need to help small businesses Sunday during a campaign appearance as he fights Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson for votes in the final days before the election.
 
Nelson, meanwhile, had only one scheduled public event Sunday in which he was supposed to appear with President Barack Obama in Hollywood, but ended up not making it to the event.
 
Mack spoke to about 60 people in New Smyrna Beach at an event he held with the National Federation of Independent Businesses.
 
In a short speech, Mack highlighted the need to help small businesses.
 
"This is really what this election is all about. It's about small business," Mack said amid a field of restored World War II aircraft at American Aero Services. "Small business is what does the hiring in this state and in this country. It's what puts people to work. When you look at the state of Florida, we have 820,000 people out of work. And when small businesses grow it's going to help those people find work."
 
He later spoke to supporters in Lakeland and planned a television news interview.
 
Mack has traveled about 1,200 miles by bus since Friday campaigning in north Florida, the Panhandle and along Interstate 4 in central Florida. Nelson has keeping a lighter schedule. His only public event Saturday was a news conference calling for extending early voting. On Monday, Nelson planned to wave signs with supporters near his Orlando home.
 
"It's almost like he feels like he's entitled to his seat. We're out there working hard every day to try to let the folks know that we believe in a different vision than what Sen. Nelson believes in," Mack said.
 
While Nelson hasn't been as visible, his campaign issued a press release touting a poll that shows him ahead of Mack as well as his newspaper endorsements. It also took a swipe at Mack, noting that he's failed to win any major newspaper endorsements.
 
Nelson, 70, is seeking his third term in the seat that was previously held by Mack's father, Connie Mack III, who retired in 2001.

Mack, 45, of Fort Myers is leaving the congressional seat he won in 2003 for the chance to follow his father to the Senate.
 
"Right now we have a government that is over taxing, over regulating small businesses," Mack said. "If we want to see small business grow, we lower taxes and then we also make sure there's certainty in the tax code. There's nothing more damaging for a small business than not knowing how to plan for tomorrow. Right now small businesses have no idea what their tax rates are going to be next year."