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Presidential hopefuls are making strategic forays into South Florida, hoping to prevent the state's favorite son Republicans from locking up all the money and support and position themselves if Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio falter.

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who's generating intense national media interest and tops most recent polls of Republicans, will be in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday for a meet-and-greet session with leaders in the business, political and legal communities.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will be in Palm Beach on Friday, where he'll be the marquee speaker at a Republican dinner that will put him before a high-caliber audience, many of whom are in position to write checks to help finance a presidential campaign.

To insiders, even prominent figures like Walker and Christie and South Florida residents Rubio and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, who formed a presidential exploratory committee on Tuesday, are all overshadowed by Bush, who served as governor from 1999 to 2007 and is the son of former President George H.W. Bush and brother of former President George W. Bush.

"I've got to believe that Jeb is getting everybody [in Florida] locked down and committed," said Bill Scherer, a prominent Fort Lauderdale lawyer who's been a fundraiser for both Bush presidents. "This is Jeb territory. Not just South Florida, but Florida."

Ed Pozzuoli, a former Broward Republican chairman who served as South Florida or Broward campaign chairman for presidential candidates Rudy Giuliani, George W. Bush and Bob Dole, said "ultimately, in my view Florida is Jeb Bush country."

But Florida is too important for the other potential Republicans to cede to Bush. Recent presidential candidate-visitors include U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Rand Paul of Kentucky, former Maryland Gov. Bob Ehrlich and former business executive Carly Fiorina.

One factor motivating candidate interest is Florida's position as the largest swing state in the country, awarding 29 electoral votes, more than 10 percent of the total needed to win the presidency. "If you don't win Florida, you're probably not going to win the presidency," said Michael Barnett, chairman of the Palm Beach County Republican Party.

Pozzuoli said it is "a long way from where we are today to the nomination. And so candidates who ignore Florida [do so] at their own peril. Because no matter whose math you look at, ultimately in order to become president of the United States, particularly for a Republican, you must win Florida."

Money is a huge factor.

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Republican presidential hopefuls seek Florida support