Florida. Singing: “Sunshine and sea breeze, soft sand and palm trees.” Retirement mecca, party central, Little Haiti, Little Havana — a state with elections so close, they’re legendary. And in 2018, Florida is living up to its reputation, with a tight governor’s race catering to political extremes. A lefty mayor from Tallahassee — “Are y’all ready to flip Florida blue —” versus a Trump-loving former congressman. “Make America great again.” The result could be a litmus test for where the state, and maybe even the country, are headed in 2020. So, who are the candidates? This is the Democrat, Mayor Andrew Gillum. He pulled off a surprise victory in the primary, beating out six other candidates. “My wife refers to me as Seabiscuit.” Gillum’s got that made-for-media inspiring back story. He’s one of seven kids, the first to graduate from high school and college, and he was the youngest person ever elected to the Tallahassee City Commission. Gillum could be Florida’s first black governor. He’s become a bit of a national star. But he’s also wrapped up in some controversies: “An ongoing corruption probe, since you’ve been mayor.” “We want to make sure that any individual that participated in that is held fully accountable.” The Republican, Ron DeSantis: He made a name for himself by appearing on Fox News — a lot. “Put up or shut up.” DeSantis, a self-described conservative warrior, has impressed many Republicans, including Trump. “A tough, brilliant cookie.” He’s got Ivy League credentials and served in the military. “JAG officer.” DeSantis went to Congress in 2012, but recently resigned so he could focus on his campaign. He’s also had some stumbles, like when he said this about Gillum the morning after the primaries: “You know he is an articulate spokesman for those far-left views. The last thing we need to do is to monkey this up.” Yeah. It drew accusations of a racist dog whistle. So, what about the issues? DeSantis has endorsed almost every Trump policy, from repealing the Affordable Care Act to moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem. He also hates tax increases and so-called sanctuary cities. Gillum: He might be the most liberal candidate for governor in Florida’s history. He wants to overhaul I.C.E., raise the minimum wage and fight the N.R.A. Polls show that both messages are getting pretty good reception in Florida. So yeah, of course, the race is neck and neck. “This is Florida. The rules are different here.”