There's one thing required of a political candidate who wants to win a statewide election in Florida: He or she must promise to secure more money for restoring the Everglades.

The rule applies to today's Republican presidential primary in Florida. All of the top candidates have taken the pledge.

But restoration advocates say the challenge is making sure election winners make good on their promise when they arrive in Washington. State officials and environmental advocates say federal support for the restoration has been lagging. That, they say, must change.

"The pubic at large -- not just Florida, but nationwide -- are saying, 'We've had enough of rhetoric," said Mary Barley, vice chairwoman of The Everglades Foundation. "I don't think they're going to put up with it. If you want to get reelected, you have to do something."

Barley points out that the state has in the past had success in turning the election promises into action. Former President Bill Clinton vowed in his 1996 re-election campaign to craft an Everglades restoration effort and followed through. Congress passed the landmark Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan on the eve of the 2000 election.

The Clinton plan laid out a multiyear restoration initiative that at the time carried a $7.8 billion price tag -- plus about $200 million in annual operation costs. The plan approved by Congress calls for the federal and state governments to split the cost.

State officials, however, say the federal government has failed to live up to its commitment to the tune of roughly $2 billion. "If we don't get the money, you're just not going to get anything done," Barley said.

Specifics lacking

Still, advocates readily admit that with candidates all making roughly the same promises -- all non-specific -- at this point it's difficult to determine how serious their commitment is to the cause.

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) -- who has staked his presidential campaign on winning Florida -- toured the Everglades a little over a week ago and said the federal government should provide the full share of funding that it agreed to for the restoration initiative.

Meanwhile, the two front-runners in the Republican race -- Arizona Sen. John McCain and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney -- have called for similar action during their numerous campaign stops across the state in the days leading up to the primary, as has former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.

But environmentalists point out that in every case the candidate's statements have been vague and have offered few details on exactly how much money they would provide or addressed any other policy question, making it difficult for voters to gauge exactly where each candidate stands.

"At some level, you want to take them at their word," said Mark Ferrulo, director of the advocacy group Environment Florida.

At the same time, Ferrulo -- and other environmentalists -- vowed that they would remind politicians every chance they get that there is a chance they'll return to Florida in four years seeking votes.

"The thing we have going for us is four years when they run for re-election Florida is still going to be a swing state," he said.

Responding to results

But Kevin Wagner, a state politics expert with Florida Atlantic University, said one reason that candidates have provided only token statements of support for the Everglades is because they believe there's little chance it will haunt them later.

"There's no evidence that presidential elections are decided on those issues," Wagner said. "Candidates and parties and politics respond to result, and if there's evidence that these issues become much more pivotal, you'll see candidates address them more.

"There needs to be evidence that people vote on these things, that's just the economics of politics."

Barley, however, pointed out that there is already a litmus test coming before the November election. Last year, Congress authorized the Water Resources Development Act, which among other initiatives authorizes funding for several Everglades projects. Lawmakers could start handing out money for those projects this year -- at least in theory -- as part of the fiscal 2009 appropriations process.

"This is going to be before the presidential election, and if we don't get, someone is going to pay the price," Barley said. "We're just not going to take it anymore."

Several officials also said one subtle way in which the Everglades issue may have had an impact is in Gov. Charlie Crist's (R) endorsement of McCain. Crist has high approval ratings, and his endorsement was seen as a potential boost for the senator's campaign.

Crist also has received high marks from environmentalists, and his speeches highlight McCain's support for the Everglades. One environmentalist said there is little doubt that Crist -- who has made the issue one of his top priorities -- discussed the topic with the candidates before making his endorsement and noted the governor picked McCain even though they disagree on some other major issues.

No Democratic candidates

Still, advocates concede that thus far the debate has not been as robust as in previous cycles -- although they attribute that in part to the fact that the Democratic candidates have steered clear of the state.

The national Democratic Party stripped Florida of its convention delegates after state officials moved the primary ahead of Super Tuesday, and all of the major candidates have promised not to campaign in the state during primary season.

"The biggest limiting factor about the candidates making a statement about the Everglades is we haven't had the Democrats campaigning in Florida," said Frank Jackalone, an Everglades restoration advocate with the Sierra Club. "Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards haven't been down here upping the ante on what they would do about protecting the Everglades."

It is uncertain just how much the debate would have been altered by the Democrats' presence, but Jackalone said one potentially major issue has largely stayed off the table without the other party -- the Bush administration's removal of the Everglades from the United Nations' list of endangered sites.

"I think if the Democrats were campaigning here, one of them would have raised that issue," Jackalone said. "But it's something the Republicans have shied away from because they'd be criticizing the standing president of their own party."

He added that as Florida turns its attention to the general election, state officials would also like for the candidates to attach a dollar amount to their support.

"Every candidate is going to be for Everglades funding," he said. "It would be interesting if they talked about how much money they thought should be given to the Everglades."