Florida's gubernatorial race is getting so close, even Jimmy Buffett is throwing in his endorsement
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
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.
Article continues belowThe Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
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."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
