Reporters surrounded Gov. Rick Scott at the end of the December cabinet meeting. Democrat Doug Jones had just scored an upset in an Alabama Senate race and the press wanted to know if his victory will factor into Scott’s decision to challenge Sen. Bill Nelson in November.

“That race is in 2018. It’s still 2017,” said Scott. “You can talk to the pundits about it.”

The pundits, national, state and those who gather in Tallahassee coffee shops, say 2018 may not be a Republican year – even in a red state like Florida. Jones’ victory is among a growing list of indicators that the luster has faded from Donald Trump’s rebel-run to the White House.

Nelson’s confidence he will go 6 – 0 in statewide races is boosted by Trump’s falling favorability numbers — a historic low after one year — and growing resistance to policies pushed by Congressional Republicans.

The Tax Plan

Start with the tax plan passed the week after Jones’ victory and a couple days before Christmas. It repeals the coverage mandate undermining the economic foundation for the Affordable Care Act.

“The gutting of Obamacare is definitely a campaign promise kept,” observed Mac Stipanovich on Facebook. But, the former Jeb Bush adviser has fears many state Republicans will not escape the “stink” associated with the president.

“Only time will tell if the African-Americans and millennials who turned out in droves in Virginia, New Jersey and Alabama to smite Republicans will be mollified by corporate tax cuts or further incensed,” continued Stipanovich, a staunch Trump critic.

His comment came a day before the federal government reported Florida led the nation in Obamacare sign ups this fall. The national deadline came in mid-December, but Floridians have until the end of the year to enroll due to problems with Hurricane Irma.

Despite a shorter enrollment period ordered by the Trump administration, and less money for advertising and consumer help, plus disruptions by a hurricane, more than 1.76 million Floridians signed up – about 30,000 fewer than the previous year.

“This level of enrollment is truly remarkable, especially given the headwinds faced by the program,” said Larry Levitt of the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Scott entered politics as an early opponent of the Affordable Care Act. And, he was Trump before Trump in that he was a millionaire businessman who never held office and defeated the Republican establishment to secure a primary nomination against a more establishment-oriented candidate.

Scott, relied on tens of millions of his own dollars to win two elections against better known Democratic candidates. He defeated CFO Alex Sink by 64,000 votes in 2010. And won reelection with a 61,000-vote margin. Both elections drew more than 5 million voters.

Scott knows how to win close elections. He recruited a reelection team that relished the challenge of taking on former Gov. Charlie Crist on behalf of Scott who was underwater in the polls the day he took office.

But he does not want to talk about 2018 except for the Florida legislative session set to begin Jan. 9.

“I’ve got a big agenda,” Scott said at the AP’s annual pre-session meeting with reporters. “I’ve got a lot of things to get done.”

Next year may be a different kind of wave than the Tea Party one Scott rode to the governor’s mansion. Turbulence whipped up by Washington Republicans and Hurricane Irma could make it difficult for Scott to get to Washington.

In a generic ballot poll, Democrats have a 13-point advantage. This survey has been a remarkable predictor of election results since 1970. The 13-point edge is larger than what the Democrats had in 2006 when they captured both the House and Senate. And traditionally, the results haven’t changed much whether they come 400 days or 30 days before an election.

However, Florida is different than the U.S. as a whole. This election may have a Puerto Rican flavor to it.

Maria’s Puerto Rican diaspora

Puerto Rico’s governor is upset and is threatening to go to war with the GOP, especially those in Florida who supported the Congressional tax plan. Hurricane Maria destroyed the island’s electrical grid. Towns may be without power until May. Intricacies in the tax plan work against the island’s economy. Gov. Ricardo Rosselló has vowed to make politicians pay for the island’s pain.

More than 250,000 Puerto Ricans have fled to Florida, according to federal officials. As U.S. citizens they are eligible to vote once they settle.

Scott has visited the island twice, at Rossello's invitation. And in Miami and Orlando, Scott had the state open Multi-Agency Resource Centers to help families displaced by the hurricane.

“To me, it’s crystal clear that because we don’t have that direct representation, we’re going to have a surrogate voice, whether it’s Puerto Ricans who moved to the U.S., or the Latino community in general,” Rosselló said during a visit to Capitol Hill last week.

“I think there is plenty of audiences to garner support for our cause,” he said, mentioning Florida voters in particular.

Nelson has been a staunch advocate for Puerto Rico in D.C. He too has visited the island and urged those displaced to register to vote.

Nelson the campaigner

Nelson has gone before statewide voters five times since 1994 when he was elected Florida Treasurer. He has more than $6 million on hand to defend a seat he first won with 51 percent of the vote in 2000. A recent survey found that 52 percent of Floridians approve of his performance in office.

In August, a group of about 30 voters surprised Nelson at the Tallahassee International Airport. He planned to end a barnstorming tour of the Panhandle with reporters and had arrived 30 minutes early.

The crowd wanted to thank him for his defense of the Affordable Care Act against bills to repeal the health insurance plan.

As he talked with the voters their numbers grew. An airport official arrived to offer a conference room for the impromptu meeting. He led Nelson and his followers through the concourse.

As they reached the stairwell, a reporter asked a Nelson aide what’s it like traveling across the state with a 76-year-old candidate?

Nelson turned back, approached the aide, took his carry-on bag from her and sprinted up the stairs. His troops scrambled to keep up with him.

Later the reporter asked, “I guess this means you’re running?”

“Yes, I am,” said Nelson. “I’ve made no secret of my intentions.”

Reporter James Call can be reached at jcall@tallahassee.com.