Satellite trucks from all over the country have descended on St. Petersburg this afternoon for a front-row seat in the fight for the Republican presidential nomination.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is holding what he hopes will be a celebration party tonight at the Mirror Lake Lyceum, a historic building that was once a church in downtown St. Pete.

At last check, the polls show Romney in a statistical dead heat with former U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona.

Romney is holding his Florida election night party here in the Tampa Bay area, in part because this is one of his strongholds in the state, according to the most recent Mason-Dixon poll.

Statewide, however, the race is a statistical dead heat, with Romney holding a one-point lead over McCain. It is unclear how Gov. Charlie Crist’s endorsement of McCain will translate in the primary.

The party gets underway here at 7:30 p.m. There’s no word yet on when Romney will make an appearance.

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