Paul Ryan began his Monday rally in Fernandina Beach by asking the 2,000 plus-person crowd to send their “prayers and our thoughts to the people in the Northeast.”

Ryan, who urged the crowd to make a donation to the Red Cross, said he and Romney were “staying in touch with regional leaders,” in the path of Hurricane Sandy.

“Look, Floridians, you are no stranger to big storms,” Ryan said. “You know better than anyone on the need for communities to come together and for neighbors to help one another.”

“We are offering assistance. We are collecting storm relief supplies in our field offices.” Ryan said.

Ryan also praised Florida utility crews for heading to the Northeast to assist in the massive post-Sandy clean-up effort. “Thank God for men and women like that. Thank you for sending your people. That’s what we do for one another in this country,” the Republican congressman said.

The remainder of Ryan’s scheduled campaign stops in Florida were cancelled in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.

After speaking about the storm, Ryan turned his attention towards the campaign.

 “We can endure anything for eight more days, but we can’t take four more years,” Ryan told a large crowd gathered at Main Beach Park.

Agriculture Commissioner of Adam Putnam was on hand to introduce Ryan on Monday.

“All of us owe him [Ryan] and Mitt Romney all of our best efforts to turn out the vote in Florida,” Putnam said.

With the election only a week away, polls indicate the race remains tight in Florida. A CNN/ORC poll released Monday had Romney leading Obama by one-point in the Sunshine State.

Tags | Adam Putnam, Fernandina Beach, Hurricane Sandy, Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan