TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Credit Union League's Government Affairs Department recently concluded an extensive round of interviews with 40 candidates running for office in the Florida Legislature. The interview sessions which were spearheaded by FCUL's Director of Legislative Development Mark Landreth, were held in various locales throughout Central and South Florida. Five interview sessions were held in: Altamonte Springs, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami. Interviews were scheduled to be held in Punta Gorda, but they were cancelled because of Hurricane Charley. Landreth said the interviews "were enlightening because several candidates had banking connections that had not been apparent beforehand. One candidate had been general counsel for and helped form a bank, while another is currently employed by a bank. A couple of candidates claimed no knowledge of the credit union difference, giving the League a great educational opportunity. Some of the candidates were very familiar with credit unions and even personally knew credit union CEOs and volunteers, while one candidate's step-daughter is employed by a credit union." For the past several election cycles, the Florida League has conducted research on candidates for various offices to determine the level of support the League may offer the candidates, and the interview sessions are one element the League uses to determine which candidates to back. In 2002, 93.5% of League-backed candidates were successfully elected.