NOTE: This story is a part of Spectrum News’ series “Decision 2020: I-4 Tour” where we explore the vast communities across Florida to provide a snapshot of hyper local viewpoints on the race for the White House.

BUSHELL, Fla. — Six months ago, on the verge of a dramatic spread of the coronavirus pandemic, states were sent into lockdown.

Stores, schools, and businesses broadly were forced to shut down.

To this day, across Central Florida, where the economy is anchored by tourism, layoffs and furloughs continue to grow.

Take a drive outside the cities, and the pandemic response could not be any more different.

“It’s shocking, we’ve doubled our sales in the last three months,” said James Sutton.

After retiring several years ago from his firefighter job, Sutton took over PaPaw’s Country Store in Bushnell.

“It was a fish camp back in the day,” Sutton said. “The Withlachoochee River was one of the to places to come bass fishing. It was a destination, but through attrition it changed.”

It’s changing once again, through the pandemic.

Sutton said bass fishing is coming back, and so are the boaters and kayakers looking to enjoy the socially-distanced outdoors.

It’s kept his country store busy, where Cuban sandwiches are the most popular item on the menu. It’s also helping to fill the downfall from his beekeeping and cattle ranching businesses.

“Cattle prices have been low,” Sutton said.

No longer fighting fires, Sutton is now building what he hopes to be a venture he can one day pass on to his grandkids.

“I want them to live this dream too, I want someone who is going to tell me we’re going to be safe, but also the economy is good and my grandkids can live the way I lived in America, that’s the biggest thing,” Sutton said.

Sutton is not shy about his support for President Donald Trump.

The reality is, most in Sumter County are not.

Long-leaning conservative, Republicans (59,015) in Sumter County outnumber Democrats (24,675) 2:1. Even add in no party affiliation/other voters (20,482) and Republicans still keep a healthy margin.

There will be no November surprise in Sumter County, not because of political traditions, but because of what some voters say matters most.

“Out of everything, I believe that you can get all of the issues out there but it’s about feeling safe, and a good economy for people, and health care,” Sutton said. “That’s three things that drive everybody in the United States.”

Sutton says for himself he believes Donald Trump will better represent the values of voters in Sumter County, and turn around the economy. It should be noted that under Trump’s administration, the nation’s national debt has grown by nearly $7 trillion. 

Support for President Trump is steadfast in places like Sumter County, even as supporters say they may not always agree with what the president says or does.

While supporters like Sutton want to see Trump re-elected, they also invite a change in political tone.

“It’s terrible, I’m embarrassed, I think we need to stop this, we need to come together, I don’t like the tone,” Sutton said. “I don’t like what’s going on, we have friends hating each other because of politics, there’s no sense in that.

"At the end of the day we’re still friends, we can disagree, but we can still be American and shake each other’s hand.”