Here are some facts about Florida:

The southeastern U.S. state, a popular destination for retirees and tourists, was hit hard by the housing foreclosure crisis and saw home values plummet.

The unemployment rate is nearly 10 percent, while the national jobless rate is 8.5 percent.

The state has a population of more than 19 million — with 75 percent of the population white, 16 percent black, 2.4 percent Asian and 22.5 percent of Hispanic or Latino origin. The numbers add up to more than 100 percent because some people report belonging to more than one race.

More than 17 percent of the population is 65 years of age or older. Nineteen percent of the population was foreign-born, and more than a quarter of the population speaks a language other than English at home.

Nearly 14 percent of the population lived below the poverty line from 2006 to 2010.

Democrat Barack Obama won 51 percent of the vote in Florida in the 2008 presidential race, while Republican John McCain garnered 48 percent.