Hurricane Michael made landfall on Wednesday with winds of 155 miles per hour, just shy of Category 5 strength—the most powerful hurricane to hit Florida’s panhandle in recorded history. It will also serve as an “October surprise” in the upcoming midterm elections in Florida, where the state’s Republican governor, Rick Scott, is in a tight race for U.S. Senate against Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson.

Politically, the hurricane stands to benefit Scott far more than Nelson. As a sitting governor, Scott can more easily show leadership during a crisis, which voters are proven to reward. He’s been doing just that: The New York Times reported on Monday that Scott “has been darting from one county emergency operations center to the next for closed-door meetings and somber news conferences.” It’s a familiar and perhaps comforting sight for Floridians, as Scott has presided over three hurricanes and six tropical storms during his tenure. This week, Scott declared a state of emergency for 35 counties; activated 1,250 members of the Florida National Guard; and waived tolls to allow coastal residents to evacuate more quickly.

Nelson has less opportunity to show such leadership. As a sitting U.S. senator, he was empowered to ask President Donald Trump to declare a federal emergency in Florida—but other lawmakers did so, too. Nelson also can’t stage elaborate press conferences that compare with Scott’s. The Times reported that Nelson “tried to speak to reporters at the emergency management center in Tallahassee—the same place where Mr. Scott often commands the state’s attention—but was turned away because he was not there for official business.”

If Nelson has one advantage, though, it’s that he’s been trying to prepare Florida for big storms like Michael for years, by drawing attention to the impacts of climate change and calling for action. He’s proposed legislation to help coastal cities prepare for greater storm surge; held hearings on sea-level-rise; and advocated for strengthening building codes to withstand wind events. His opponent, on the other hand, “has done little over the years to prepare for what scientists say are the inevitable effects of climate change that will wreak havoc in the years to come,” according to The Washington Post. And Scott’s failure to prepare has had grave implications for Florida, “one of the states at greatest risk from rising sea levels, extreme weather events—including more-powerful hurricanes—and other consequences of a warming planet.”

In the past, Nelson has called out Scott for ignoring global warming. But the senator hasn’t been talking about climate change this week, amid Hurricane Michael, as Floridians on the Gulf Coast feel the consequences of Scott’s inaction. Why? Because doing so would invite accusations of politicizing a tragedy.