A grinding $150-million marathon of backyard barbecues, pulpit politics, bus tours and presidential tweets is entering its final weekend,as the seven major candidates competing for the Democratic and Republican nominations to become Florida's next governor scramble to snare every last possible vote.
From Pensacola to Miami, five Democrats and two Republicans are putting thousands of miles on their campaign coaches this weekend, scouring the state in search of the undecided. Perhaps more than half the total ballots in the primary election have already been cast, but every vote matters in the scrum for political survival.
On the right, Trump-endorsed Congressman Ron DeSantis is expected to prevail over Agricultural Commissioner Adam Putnam, but a dicey week for the president could add a hint of doubt for the frontrunner. On the left, a jumble remains atop the crowded field, with former congresswoman Gwen Graham hoping to beat out Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, Palm Beach billionaire Jeff Greene, Winter Park businessman Chris King and former Miami Beach mayor Philip Levine.
Though election day is the climax of a campaign slog that has lasted more than a year for some of the candidates, more than 1.3 million people have voted early and by absentee mail already. This weekend, thousands more will vote, particularly in African American communities. And this year, pastors leading the traditional Sunday "Souls to the Polls" will do so with the chance to elect the first black governor in Florida in Gillum.
"It's a chance for them to help make history," said Geoff Burgan, a spokesman for Gillum, who plans to spend all of Sunday in South Florida, ending with a rally in Richmond Heights, where he grew up.
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04.28.2025