Another major Florida Republican political financier, Wayne Huizenga, has signed on with the Mitt Romney presidential campaign.

Huizenga, a phenomenally successful but occasionally controversial entrepreneur, is a sports team owner and founder of Waste Management Inc., Blockbuster Video and AutoNation, and a longtime backer of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. Romney has recruited heavily among Bush supporters in an effort to establish a base in Florida to compete against primary opponents Rudy Giuliani and John McCain.

Besides Huizenga, major Florida GOP donors and fundraisers who have signed up with Romney include father and son Mel and Brent Sembler of St. Petersburg, Jorge Arrizueta, Stanley Tate and others.

Romney’s has been working hard to build his Florida finance team. During a visit to Tampa for a county Republican Party fundraising dinner March 10, Romney and his aides met with and sought to recruit local Republicans including Al Austin, one of the Tampa Bay area’s leading GOP finance leaders, builder Bing Kearney, and local attorney Steve Burton, party insiders said.

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