ORLANDO, Florida — Those living along the coast of the Florida Panhandle know it could be months, if not longer, before there is any return of normalcy to life.

The aftermath of the near Category 5 storm is not only challenging the people of Florida, but the state’s leaders as well.

Gov. Rick Scott (R) and Sen. Bill Nelson (D) have been on the ground in gulf coast counties since the storm battered the area.

“Voters, constituents, they expect strong leadership from the governor in situations like this,” said Aubrey Jewett, Professor of Political Science at University of Central Florida. “It gives the governor an opportunity to be on TV all of the time and get a lot of free, fairly positive media coverage.”

Scott and Nelson are both drawing attention to the need for resources, both also locked in a separate political campaign battle.

Scott is running to unseat Nelson, a three-term U.S. senator.

“The reality is, hurricanes can affect elections,” Jewett said.

In another closely watched debate, voters are seeing how Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum and Republican gubernatorial candidate Ron DeSantis are reacting.

Gillum has spent much of his time in hard-hit Tallahassee, the city in which he is mayor. Gillum has paused campaign activities until later this week.

DeSantis continues to make campaign appearances but is using the opportunities to raise supplies and donations for those in the panhandle in need.

A ‘Delicate Balance’

Jewitt cautions that politics and crises can be a delicate balance.

“If you are in office and it looks like you are trying to take advantage of a crisis like a hurricane, for political advantage, then that can really backfire because people really, really do not like that,” Jewett said.

Jewett says the storm response has given the candidates the chance to earn not only positive media coverage, but also chances at a redo.

DeSantis and the Republican Party of Florida were running multiple ads before the storm, criticizing Gillum’s response to previous storms as Tallahassee mayor.

Gillum was seen in the hours after the storm hit surveying damage, leading restoration efforts and even using a chainsaw to cut trees in the streets of the capital city.

The Republican ads continued to run during and after Hurricane Michael hit the gulf coast, a point that earned the republican candidate some criticism.

“That was really considered pretty bad form,” Jewett said. “It’s not the law or anything, but it’s an unwritten norm in Florida politics, if there’s a hurricane or a crisis, then active campaigning, and particularly negative campaigning, you stop doing that.”

As the election itself closes in, Jewett says he believes voters are keeping close watch to help decide who should be the state’s next Governor.

“In any campaign, there are a number of events that happen over a campaign season and each of them collectively added together can influence voters, so this is going to be one of them and it is a bit more of a high profile than some,” Jewett said.