BY OLYMPIA MEOLA

Gov. Bob McDonnell may travel to Florida this weekend to campaign for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

The governor told reporters today that he’s still finalizing plans but they are looking at Saturday.

McDonnell endorsed Romney last week, on the eve of the South Carolina primary. Romney lost that contest and primary polling shows Florida to be a close race between Romney and Newt Gingrich.  

“This is a big primary, Florida,” McDonnell said. “It’s clearly turned into a very competitive race. It looks like about a dead heat right now. The super PACs are doing their thing, and a lot of messaging going on now about the liabilities of the other candidates.”

A Quinnipiac University poll released today shows Romney polling 36 percent to Gingrich’s 34 percent among likely voters in the Florida GOP presidential primary.

Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum receives 13 percent and Texas U.S. Rep. Ron Paul posts 10 percent.

“I think Gov. Romney has always been and still is considered the front runner,” McDonnell said. “But I don’t think anybody’s ever thought this was going to be a cakewalk.”