Just days before Florida's gubernatorial primaries, Democratic candidate Gwen Graham danced her way onstage to address a coconut bra-wearing crowd. And just when you thought things couldn't get any more Florida, Jimmy Buffett stepped in to play "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere."
Yes, even the king of chillax is stepping into the highly publicized Florida race, which will hold primaries Tuesday, The New York Times reports. The Buffett-backed Graham will face Miami Beach businessman Phillip Levine; Andrew Gillum, the preferred candidate of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.); and a slew of other Democrats. Across the aisle, President Trump affiliate Rep. Ron DeSantis seems likely to beat out Adam Putnam for the GOP nomination.
Personality and political uncertainty has made the race to replace Republican Gov. Rick Scott one of the most-watched in the country. Florida is a notorious swing state, narrowly choosing Trump in the 2016 election. But a wave of political activism in the wake of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting in Parkland, Florida, could make Graham the first female governor in the state's history.
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Democrats across the Florida ballot have aimed to repeal the Stand Your Ground gun law while promoting other gun control measures, the Times points out. They've also united behind environmental protection and expanding health care, and overall have charted a relatively centrist course.
Republicans, meanwhile, have led Florida for the last 20 years, and nearly every poll matching up potential GOP and Democratic candidates foresees the governor's seat staying that way. But the most recent polls between every likely matchup are incredibly close, with Putnam beating Graham by just one point in a July Gravis poll. It all makes Florida's race worth watching — even if you're just hoping to catch a few bars of "Margaritaville."
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