18 races to follow for the 2018 midterms

3. Florida

Candidates: Republican challenger Ron DeSantis vs. Democratic challenger Andrew Gillum

While we’re talking about races for the House of Representatives and the Senate, we shouldn’t forget the importance of gubernatorial races. The person who leads an entire state has a lot of say in how policies are chosen and implemented, how they interact with their communities, and which direction a state will move, both politically and in the public consciousness.

That’s definitely part of the case when it comes to Florida’s race. Already, it’s held plenty of surprises for those involved. Undoubtedly, it’s going to reveal a few more twists and turns between now and the November elections.

In the past, Florida has tended to go for Republican governors, like the most recent Governor Rick Scott. Representative Ron DeSantis, currently representing Florida’s 6th Congressional District, is likely hoping for this outcome. He’s already succeeded against initial odds, winning his party’s primary again Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam. For everyone else, Putnam was the favorite to win. Then, a tweet-based endorsement for DeSantis emanating from the White House seemed to change everything. DeSantis then won with a comfortable margin.

He will be competing with Andrew Gillum, currently the mayor of the state capital, Tallahassee. While DeSantis emerged as the favorite after his endorsement, Gillum’s primary win was a surprise for many. Gwen Graham had already emerged as the Democratic favorite, with Gillum in a distant place behind Graham and other, more well funded challengers.

Then, rather late in his campaign, Gillum received a big donation from George Soros and Tom Steyer. He also got an endorsement from Bernie Sanders, the independent Vermont senator who gained lots of traction in the 2016 elections. At this point, between the political speak and the predicted large voter turnout, it could be anybody’s race.

Campaign website for Ron DeSantis: https://rondesantis.com/
Campaign website for Andrew Gillum: https://andrewgillum.com/