November 6th marks election day, but many students that are eligible to vote have not decided who they are voting for in the upcoming gubernatorial elections. However, it is important that students, and members of the community, voice their opinions because the candidate Florida elects as their governor this year could potentially change Florida’s history.

The candidates are Ron DeSantis, representing the Republican party, and Andrew Gillum, the Democratic party representative. DeSantis and Gillum’s views constantly clash regarding nearly all topics from gun-control to climate change. [For more information on the specific views of each of these candidates please read our article titled Who’s Side Are You On?-The Upcoming Election for Florida’s Governor ] The reason this election and the fact these two men have polar opposite opinions could change Florida’s history is that Florida is a purple state. However, what does that mean exactly?

A purple state, also know as a swing state or battleground state, is a state that has very balanced demographics within the Democratic and Republican parties which causes both to have a fair chance of winning elections. Therefore due to the fact that these candidates political views are just so incredibly different, whichever candidate wins for their party will have a huge impact on how the state will swing in upcoming years.

This is true for all almost all Florida elections, so why is it election in particular so significant? For the past 20 years the governor’s seat has been held by the Republican party. Whichever candidate wins the seat in this upcoming week election could cause historic change in legislation in the future.

“I deeply support Andrew Gillum for the governor seat. I feel that’s Gillum’s progressive and democratic values, especially regarding issues such and gun control, health care, and criminal justice reforms are what Floridians need to live in less fear, honestly. It would be historic for him to flip a seat that’s been Republican for the past 20 years. Gillum was successful as Tallahassee’s mayor, and I think he’ll be successful as a governor as well,” said senior India Cooper.

Another reason it is important to vote at this specific election is what it will mean for Florida if Andrew Gillum is elected governor. As of right now, Gillum is the first black major party gubernatorial nominee in the state of Florida’s history. If Gillum is elected governor, this will be a huge step for Florida in becoming more diverse in the political world.

However not everyone agrees with Gillum’s political views, and many people lean towards DeSantis. This is possibly because DeSantis is a steadfast supporter of President Donald Trump and his policies. Donald trump noticed this and responded by publicly endorsing DeSantis on Twitter multiple times in the past months.

Congressman Ron DeSantis is a special person who has done an incredible job. He is running in Tuesdays Primary for Governor of Florida….Strong on Crime, Borders and wants Low Taxes. He will be a great Governor and has my full and total Endorsement!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 27, 2018

“DeSantis as a candidate, I feel as though he is going to be a governor that will defend our rights for things such as guns and marijuana. In addition, he seems to be a respectable man,” proclaimed sophomore Zach Gaudio.

It is critical that anyone that is eligible to vote takes a moment out of their day to go cast their ballot on November 6th to assist in the decision of this historic election.

For additional information on the campaigns of both of these candidates, we at the Greyhound Growl encourage our readers to please view the short video ads below and to conduct their own research.