Washington (CNN) Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are watching Florida as closely as a homeowner -- hoping Hurricane Matthew won't destroy the political infrastructure they've built.

The storm -- the strongest to threaten the US coast in more than a decade -- is poised to shake the campaigns with just 33 days remaining before the election.

Safety is the biggest concern as Matthew approaches Florida and later takes aim at North Carolina, another crucial swing state. But the hurricane is also threatening Clinton and Trump efforts to mobilize voters. And the potential of displaced residents could challenge pollsters and scramble turnout.

The Clinton campaign had asked Florida officials to extend the state's October 11 voter registration deadline to account for the storm. But Florida Gov. Rick Scott told reporters Thursday he doesn't "intend to make changes," explaining that "people have had time to register."

Steve Schale, a Democratic strategist in Florida who ran President Barack Obama's 2008 race and several other campaigns in the state, said the get-out-the-vote activities are designed to build day-by-day and "ramp up to a goal."

Those plans, he said, will be at least temporarily interrupted.

"Obviously, any day off the campaign is not a good one," Schale told CNN Thursday.

Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction People wade through floodwaters with a boat in Nichols, South Carolina, on Monday, October 10. Hurricane Matthew caused flooding and damage in the Southeast -- from Florida to North Carolina -- after slamming Haiti and other countries in the Caribbean. Hide Caption 1 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Workers repair downed power lines in Daytona Beach, Florida, on October 10. Hide Caption 2 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Rescue teams maneuver through floodwaters in Lumberton, North Carolina, on October 10. President Barack Obama has declared a major disaster in North Carolina and ordered federal aid to supplement state, tribal and local recovery efforts. Hide Caption 3 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Floodwaters inundate a home in Lumberton on October 10. Hide Caption 4 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Floodwaters surround a house in Nichols, South Carolina, on October 10. Hide Caption 5 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley checks flooding near Nichols on October 10. Hide Caption 6 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Floodwaters surround power lines near Nichols on October 10. Hide Caption 7 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Without power in the hurricane's aftermath, Missy Zinc shines a light so her husband, Shawn, can prepare steaks to grill in Hilton Head, South Carolina, on Sunday, October 9. Hide Caption 8 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Anthony Writebol, left, and his cousin Melissa Hill paddle past a stranded tractor-trailer in Lumberton on October 9. Hide Caption 9 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A man clings to a road sign after trying to swim out to help a stranded truck driver in Hope Mills, North Carolina, on October 9. Both were rescued. Hide Caption 10 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction People stop and take pictures of Highway 58, which was flooded in Nashville, North Carolina, on October 9. Hide Caption 11 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Boats are pushed up among twisted docks in Hilton Head on October 9. Hide Caption 12 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Rescue workers help several dogs that were trapped in homes in Pinetops, North Carolina, on October 9. Hide Caption 13 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A section of Wayne Memorial Drive was washed out in Goldsboro, North Carolina. Hide Caption 14 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction John Tweedy wades into the swift-moving floodwaters surrounding his business in McClellanville, South Carolina, on Saturday, October 8. Hide Caption 15 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A woman who gave her name only as Valerie walks along flooded President Street after leaving her homeless camp in Savannah, Georgia, on October 8. Hide Caption 16 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Volunteers clear debris from from a pool at a condominium complex in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, on October 8. Hide Caption 17 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A police officer steps through the remnants of a home leveled by Hurricane Matthew in the tiny beach community of Edisto Beach, South Carolina, on October 8. Hide Caption 18 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A downed tree and power lines block a road on Georgia's St. Simons Island on October 8. Hide Caption 19 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A woman fights the wind in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, on October 8. Hide Caption 20 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Parts of Highway A1A in Flagler Beach, Florida, were washed away by Hurricane Matthew on Friday, October 7. Hide Caption 21 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Water flows over a seawall and fills the streets of St. Augustine, Florida, on October 7. Hide Caption 22 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Barbara Hearst tapes her storm shutters as Hurricane Matthew nears Charleston, South Carolina, on October 7. Hide Caption 23 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Adam and Alec Selent watch waves crash over a retainer wall at the Ocean Club condominiums in Isle of Palms, South Carolina, on October 7. Hide Caption 24 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A damaged boat sits partially submerged on the intercoastal waterway in Melbourne, Florida, on October 7. Hide Caption 25 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A police officer helps persuade a woman to board a bus and evacuate Savannah, Georgia, on October 7. Hide Caption 26 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Preston Payne tries to hold his umbrella on Georgia's Tybee Island on October 7. Hide Caption 27 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Heavy waves pound boat docks in Cocoa Beach, Florida, on October 7. Hide Caption 28 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A women helps a dog walk through floodwaters in Port Orange, Florida, on October 7. Hide Caption 29 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Damage in Cocoa Beach. Hide Caption 30 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Waves crash against a bridge in St. Augustine, Florida. Hide Caption 31 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A car drives past a downed tree as the hurricane moves through Daytona Beach, Florida, on October 7. Hide Caption 32 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A billboard canvas flaps in the wind after Hurricane Matthew passed North Palm Beach, Florida, on October 7. Hide Caption 33 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A woman inspects her damaged car under a tree in Fort Pierce, Florida, on October 7. Hide Caption 34 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A space shuttle model stands near some downed trees after Hurricane Matthew passed by Cocoa Beach. Hide Caption 35 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A woman uses her phone under a battery-operated lantern at a hotel in Titusville, Florida, on October 7. Hide Caption 36 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Palm trees on Cocoa Beach sway in the wind on October 7. Hide Caption 37 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Firefighters respond to a pre-dawn house fire in Satellite Beach, Florida, that was possibly caused by a downed power line on October 7. Hide Caption 38 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Heavy rain billows in front of Exploration Tower in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on October 7. Hide Caption 39 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction People stand on a beach in Broward County, Florida, as the storm approached the coast on Thursday, October 6. Hide Caption 40 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A police officer walks along the beach in Singer Island, Florida, on October 6. Hide Caption 41 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Kevin Forde and John Haughey put plywood on a Miami Beach window on October 6. Hide Caption 42 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Hurricane Matthew moves through Paradise Island in Nassau, Bahamas, on October 6. Capt. Stephen Russell, the head of the Bahamas National Emergency Management Authority, said there were many downed trees and power lines but no reports of casualties. Hide Caption 43 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction People leave Disney's Magic Kingdom theme park, in heavy rain, after it closed in Orlando, Florida in preparation for the landfall of Hurricane Matthew, on October 6. Hide Caption 44 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A man rakes up debris from a storm drain as he begins cleanup near a damaged gas station in Nassau on October 6. Hide Caption 45 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Residents repair their homes in Les Cayes, Haiti, on October 6. The damage from Hurricane Matthew was especially brutal in southern Haiti, where sustained winds of 130 mph punished the country. Hide Caption 46 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Girls hold hands as they help each other wade through a flooded street in Les Cayes on October 6. Hide Caption 47 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Two days after the storm, authorities and aid workers in Haiti still lacked a clear picture of what they fear is the country's biggest disaster in years. Hide Caption 48 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A supermarket shelf is nearly cleared out in Titusville, Florida, on Wednesday, October 5. Hide Caption 49 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Bumper-to-bumper traffic lines Interstate 26 in Columbia, South Carolina, as people drive west on October 5. Hide Caption 50 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Workers start removing umbrellas and the colorful rocking chairs that line the Cocoa Beach Pier in Cocoa Beach, Florida, on October 5. Hide Caption 51 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction People carry a coffin and try to cross the La Digue river on October 5 after a bridge collapsed in Petit-Goave, Haiti. Hide Caption 52 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction People cross the La Digue river on October 5. Hide Caption 53 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Evacuees return to their homes in the Carbonera community of Guantanamo, Cuba, on October 5. Hide Caption 54 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction People embrace at their damaged home in Baracoa, Cuba. The hurricane rolled across the sparsely populated tip of Cuba, destroying dozens of homes in the country's easternmost city and leaving hundreds of others damaged. Hide Caption 55 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A woman cries amid the rubble of her home in Baracoa. Hide Caption 56 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Bus drivers in North Charleston, South Carolina, wait for word to start evacuations. Hide Caption 57 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction The high winds of Hurricane Matthew roar over Baracoa on Tuesday, October 4. Hide Caption 58 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Beth Johnson fills up her car at a gas station in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, on October 4. Hide Caption 59 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction The mother of two girls who died in the storm is comforted near her home in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on October 4. The girls were killed when a landslide caused by flooding breached the walls of their house. Hide Caption 60 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A worker clears a sewer on a flooded street in Santo Domingo. Hide Caption 61 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Anita Baranyi feeds her baby while keeping an eye on the generator she intends to purchase from a home-improvement store in Oakland Park, Florida, on October 4. Hide Caption 62 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction People wade through the flooded streets of Cite Soleil in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince on October 4. Hurricane Matthew is the strongest storm to hit Haiti since 1964 and the first hurricane to make landfall in the country since the devastating earthquake in 2010. Hide Caption 63 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction People observe the flooding of a river near Port-au-Prince on October 4. Hide Caption 64 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Children swim in a flooded neighborhood of Santo Domingo on October 4. Hide Caption 65 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A truck used as public transportation drives through flooded streets in Port-au-Prince on October 4. Hide Caption 66 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Hurricane winds blow against palm trees in Port-au-Prince. Hide Caption 67 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A food vendor lays out goods for sale during a light rain in Port-au-Prince on October 4. Hide Caption 68 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Haitian civil protection workers arrive to evacuate the Tabarre region of Haiti on October 3. Hide Caption 69 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Officials urge residents to evacuate their homes in the Grise River area of Tabarre on October 3. Hide Caption 70 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Clouds loom over the hills of the Petionville suburb of Port-au-Prince on October 3. Hide Caption 71 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Families seek shelter from Hurricane Matthew at a university facility in Guantanamo, Cuba. Hide Caption 72 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction People near Kingston, Jamaica, take a photo in front of the rough surf produced by Hurricane Matthew on October 3. Hide Caption 73 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A backhoe removes garbage to clear a canal in Port-au-Prince on October 3. Hide Caption 74 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Nice Simon, the mayor of Tabarre, Haiti, holds a baby as she helps evacuate the area along a river. Hide Caption 75 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction People stock up on food at a supermarket in Port-au-Prince on Sunday, October 2. Hide Caption 76 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A worker dismantles a traffic light in Santiago before Hurricane Matthew struck Cuba. Hide Caption 77 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Motorists drive through heavy rains in Kingston, Jamaica, on October 2. Hide Caption 78 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Residents of Cuba's Holguin Province line up to buy gas on October 2. Hide Caption 79 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A worker nails a board to a storefront window in Kingston on Saturday, October 1. Hide Caption 80 of 80

The storm is essentially freezing the 2016 campaign in place as candidates on both sides avoid Florida for the next few days.

"We're very mindful of the fact that a visit at the wrong time, when people are really focused on keeping themselves safe, would be a real distraction," Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine said Thursday on CNN's "New Day."

The storm is forcing the campaigns to scramble across Florida -- even outside the state's evacuation zone. Orlando, and the sprawling surrounding area, is home to many of the state's Puerto Rican voters who are top targets of the Clinton campaign. Field offices were closed and campaign workers were evacuating, aides said Thursday.

Republican National Committee political director Chris Carr said the party suspended its voter contacts in Florida Wednesday at noon "so that our staff can make plans in preparation for the storm."

Political risks

Both campaigns face risks in shuttering significant portions of their voter turnout operations temporarily: Clinton's operation has vast organizational muscle -- and therefore more to lose. Trump has been playing catch-up in swing states, and could find himself running even shorter on time.

"You do worry about it, you fret about it," said Brett Doster, a Tallahasee-based GOP strategist who aided George W. Bush's 2004 re-election campaign in Florida.

Photos: Donald Trump's rise Photos: Donald Trump's rise President-elect Donald Trump has been in the spotlight for years. From developing real estate and producing and starring in TV shows, he became a celebrity long before winning the White House. Hide Caption 1 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump at age 4. He was born in 1946 to Fred and Mary Trump in New York City. His father was a real estate developer. Hide Caption 2 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump, left, in a family photo. He was the second-youngest of five children. Hide Caption 3 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump, center, stands at attention during his senior year at the New York Military Academy in 1964. Hide Caption 4 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump, center, wears a baseball uniform at the New York Military Academy in 1964. After he graduated from the boarding school, he went to college. He started at Fordham University before transferring and later graduating from the Wharton School, the University of Pennsylvania's business school. Hide Caption 5 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump stands with Alfred Eisenpreis, New York's economic development administrator, in 1976 while they look at a sketch of a new 1,400-room renovation project of the Commodore Hotel. After graduating college in 1968, Trump worked with his father on developments in Queens and Brooklyn before purchasing or building multiple properties in New York and Atlantic City, New Jersey. Those properties included Trump Tower in New York and Trump Plaza and multiple casinos in Atlantic City. Hide Caption 6 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump attends an event to mark the start of construction of the New York Convention Center in 1979. Hide Caption 7 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump wears a hard hat at the Trump Tower construction site in New York in 1980. Hide Caption 8 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump was married to Ivana Zelnicek Trump from 1977 to 1990, when they divorced. They had three children together: Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric. Hide Caption 9 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise The Trump family, circa 1986. Hide Caption 10 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump uses his personal helicopter to get around New York in 1987. Hide Caption 11 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump stands in the atrium of the Trump Tower. Hide Caption 12 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump attends the opening of his new Atlantic City casino, the Taj Mahal, in 1989. Hide Caption 13 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump signs his second book, "Trump: Surviving at the Top," in 1990. Trump has published at least 16 other books, including "The Art of the Deal" and "The America We Deserve." Hide Caption 14 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump and singer Michael Jackson pose for a photo before traveling to visit Ryan White, a young child with AIDS, in 1990. Hide Caption 15 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump dips his second wife, Marla Maples, after the couple married in a private ceremony in New York in December 1993. The couple divorced in 1999 and had one daughter together, Tiffany. Hide Caption 16 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump putts a golf ball in his New York office in 1998. Hide Caption 17 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise An advertisement for the television show "The Apprentice" hangs at Trump Tower in 2004. The show launched in January of that year. In January 2008, the show returned as "Celebrity Apprentice." Hide Caption 18 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise A 12-inch talking Trump doll is on display at a toy store in New York in September 2004. Hide Caption 19 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump attends a news conference in 2005 that announced the establishment of Trump University. From 2005 until it closed in 2010, Trump University had about 10,000 people sign up for a program that promised success in real estate. Three separate lawsuits -- two class-action suits filed in California and one filed by New York's attorney general -- argued that the program was mired in fraud and deception. Trump's camp rejected the suits' claims as "baseless." And Trump has charged that the New York case against him is politically motivated. Hide Caption 20 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump attends the U.S. Open tennis tournament with his third wife, Melania Knauss-Trump, and their son, Barron, in 2006. Trump and Knauss married in 2005. Hide Caption 21 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump wrestles with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin at WrestleMania in 2007. Trump has close ties with the WWE and its CEO, Vince McMahon. Hide Caption 22 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise For "The Apprentice," Trump was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in January 2007. Hide Caption 23 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump appears on the set of "The Celebrity Apprentice" with two of his children -- Donald Jr. and Ivanka -- in 2009. Hide Caption 24 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump poses with Miss Universe contestants in 2011. Trump had been executive producer of the Miss Universe, Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants since 1996. Hide Caption 25 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise In 2012, Trump announces his endorsement of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. Hide Caption 26 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump speaks in Sarasota, Florida, after accepting the Statesman of the Year Award at the Sarasota GOP dinner in August 2012. It was shortly before the Republican National Convention in nearby Tampa. Hide Caption 27 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump appears on stage with singer Nick Jonas and television personality Giuliana Rancic during the 2013 Miss USA pageant. Hide Caption 28 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise In June 2015, during a speech from Trump Tower, Trump announced that he was running for President. He said he would give up "The Apprentice" to run. Hide Caption 29 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump -- flanked by U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio, left, and Ted Cruz -- speaks during a CNN debate in Miami on March 10. Trump dominated the GOP primaries and emerged as the presumptive nominee in May. Hide Caption 30 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise The Trump family poses for a photo in New York in April. Hide Caption 31 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump speaks during a campaign event in Evansville, Indiana, on April 28. After Trump won the Indiana primary, his last two competitors dropped out of the GOP race. Hide Caption 32 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump delivers a speech at the Republican National Convention in July, accepting the party's nomination for President. "I have had a truly great life in business," he said. "But now, my sole and exclusive mission is to go to work for our country -- to go to work for you. It's time to deliver a victory for the American people." Hide Caption 33 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump faces Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in the first presidential debate, which took place in Hempstead, New York, in September. Hide Caption 34 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump apologizes in a video, posted to his Twitter account in October, for vulgar and sexually aggressive remarks he made a decade ago regarding women. "I said it, I was wrong and I apologize," Trump said, referring to lewd comments he made during a previously unaired taping of "Access Hollywood." Multiple Republican leaders rescinded their endorsements of Trump after the footage was released. Hide Caption 35 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump walks on stage with his family after he was declared the election winner on November 9. "Ours was not a campaign, but rather, an incredible and great movement," he told his supporters in New York. Hide Caption 36 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump is joined by his family as he is sworn in as President on January 20. Hide Caption 37 of 37

"And if you're a good state executive director," Doster said, "what you're probably telling your employees and volunteers to do right now is to stay safe -- and then after the storm's over, put on a Trump or Clinton T-shirt and go help people out, start handing out water. That's about all you can do."

Doster said hurricanes cause a delay of about a week to 10 days, when "recovery becomes way more important than a partisan label."

"That will sort of set a time-out in the game, so to speak," he said. "But it doesn't prevent people from doing things to get ready for the partisan games again once that period passes, and my guess is that both campaigns right now are going to be thinking about what go time looks like, and they will pick up immediately afterward."

Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Hillary Clinton accepts the Democratic Party's nomination for president at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on July 28, 2016. The former first lady, U.S. senator and secretary of state was the first woman to lead the presidential ticket of a major political party. Hide Caption 1 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Before marrying Bill Clinton, she was Hillary Rodham. Here she attends Wellesley College in Massachusetts. Her commencement speech at Wellesley's graduation ceremony in 1969 attracted national attention. After graduating, she attended Yale Law School. Hide Caption 2 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Rodham was a lawyer on the House Judiciary Committee, whose work led to impeachment charges against President Richard Nixon in 1974. Hide Caption 3 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight In 1975, Rodham married Bill Clinton, whom she met at Yale Law School. He became the governor of Arkansas in 1978. In 1980, the couple had a daughter, Chelsea. Hide Caption 4 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Arkansas' first lady, now using the name Hillary Rodham Clinton, wears her inaugural ball gown in 1985. Hide Caption 5 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight The Clintons celebrate Bill's inauguration in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1991. He was governor from 1983 to 1992, when he was elected President. Hide Caption 6 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Bill Clinton comforts his wife on the set of "60 Minutes" after a stage light broke loose from the ceiling and knocked her down in January 1992. Hide Caption 7 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight In June 1992, Clinton uses a sewing machine designed to eliminate back and wrist strain. She had just given a speech at a convention of the International Ladies' Garment Workers Union. Hide Caption 8 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight During the 1992 presidential campaign, Clinton jokes with her husband's running mate, Al Gore, and Gore's wife, Tipper, aboard a campaign bus. Hide Caption 9 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton accompanies her husband as he takes the oath of office in January 1993. Hide Caption 10 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight The Clintons share a laugh on Capitol Hill in 1993. Hide Caption 11 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton unveils the renovated Blue Room of the White House in 1995. Hide Caption 12 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton waves to the media in January 1996 as she arrives for an appearance before a grand jury in Washington. The first lady was subpoenaed to testify as a witness in the investigation of the Whitewater land deal in Arkansas. The Clintons' business investment was investigated, but ultimately they were cleared of any wrongdoing. Hide Caption 13 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight The Clintons hug as Bill is sworn in for a second term as President. Hide Caption 14 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight The first lady holds up a Grammy Award, which she won for her audiobook "It Takes a Village" in 1997. Hide Caption 15 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight The Clintons dance on a beach in the U.S. Virgin Islands in January 1998. Later that month, Bill Clinton was accused of having a sexual relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky. Hide Caption 16 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton looks on as her husband discusses the Monica Lewinsky scandal in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on January 26, 1998. Clinton declared, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman." In August of that year, Clinton testified before a grand jury and admitted to having "inappropriate intimate contact" with Lewinsky, but he said it did not constitute sexual relations because they had not had intercourse. He was impeached in December on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice. Hide Caption 17 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight The first family walks with their dog, Buddy, as they leave the White House for a vacation in August 1998. Hide Caption 18 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight President Clinton makes a statement at the White House in December 1998, thanking members of Congress who voted against his impeachment. The Senate trial ended with an acquittal in February 1999. Hide Caption 19 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton announces in February 2000 that she will seek the U.S. Senate seat in New York. She was elected later that year. Hide Caption 20 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton makes her first appearance on the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee. Hide Caption 21 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Sen. Clinton comforts Maren Sarkarat, a woman who lost her husband in the September 11 terrorist attacks, during a ground-zero memorial in October 2001. Hide Caption 22 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton holds up her book "Living History" before a signing in Auburn Hills, Michigan, in 2003. Hide Caption 23 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton and another presidential hopeful, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, applaud at the start of a Democratic debate in 2007. Hide Caption 24 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Obama and Clinton talk on the plane on their way to a rally in Unity, New Hampshire, in June 2008. She had recently ended her presidential campaign and endorsed Obama. Hide Caption 25 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Obama is flanked by Clinton and Vice President-elect Joe Biden at a news conference in Chicago in December 2008. He had designated Clinton to be his secretary of state. Hide Caption 26 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton, as secretary of state, greets Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin during a meeting just outside Moscow in March 2010. Hide Caption 27 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight The Clintons pose on the day of Chelsea's wedding to Marc Mezvinsky in July 2010. Hide Caption 28 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight In this photo provided by the White House, Obama, Clinton, Biden and other members of the national security team receive an update on the mission against Osama bin Laden in May 2011. Hide Caption 29 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton checks her Blackberry inside a military plane after leaving Malta in October 2011. In 2015, The New York Times reported that Clinton exclusively used a personal email account during her time as secretary of state. The account, fed through its own server, raises security and preservation concerns. Clinton later said she used a private domain out of "convenience," but admits in retrospect "it would have been better" to use multiple emails. Hide Caption 30 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton arrives for a group photo before a forum with the Gulf Cooperation Council in March 2012. The forum was held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Hide Caption 31 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Obama and Clinton bow during the transfer-of-remains ceremony marking the return of four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens, who were killed in Benghazi, Libya, in September 2012. Hide Caption 32 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton ducks after a woman threw a shoe at her while she was delivering remarks at a recycling trade conference in Las Vegas in 2014. Hide Caption 33 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton, now running for President again, performs with Jimmy Fallon during a "Tonight Show" skit in September 2015. Hide Caption 34 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton testifies about the Benghazi attack during a House committee meeting in October 2015. "I would imagine I have thought more about what happened than all of you put together," she said during the 11-hour hearing. "I have lost more sleep than all of you put together. I have been wracking my brain about what more could have been done or should have been done." Months earlier, Clinton had acknowledged a "systemic breakdown" as cited by an Accountability Review Board, and she said that her department was taking additional steps to increase security at U.S. diplomatic facilities. Hide Caption 35 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders shares a lighthearted moment with Clinton during a Democratic presidential debate in October 2015. It came after Sanders gave his take on the Clinton email scandal. "The American people are sick and tired of hearing about the damn emails," Sanders said. "Enough of the emails. Let's talk about the real issues facing the United States of America." Hide Caption 36 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton is reflected in a teleprompter during a campaign rally in Alexandria, Virginia, in October 2015. Hide Caption 37 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton walks on her stage with her family after winning the New York primary in April. Hide Caption 38 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight After Clinton became the Democratic Party's presumptive nominee, this photo was posted to her official Twitter account. "To every little girl who dreams big: Yes, you can be anything you want -- even president," Clinton said. "Tonight is for you." Hide Caption 39 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Obama hugs Clinton after he gave a speech at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. The president said Clinton was ready to be commander in chief. "For four years, I had a front-row seat to her intelligence, her judgment and her discipline," he said, referring to her stint as his secretary of state. Hide Caption 40 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton arrives at a 9/11 commemoration ceremony in New York on September 11. Clinton, who was diagnosed with pneumonia two days before, left early after feeling ill. A video appeared to show her stumble as Secret Service agents helped her into a van. Hide Caption 41 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton addresses a campaign rally in Cleveland on November 6, two days before Election Day. She went on to lose Ohio -- and the election -- to her Republican opponent, Donald Trump. Hide Caption 42 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight After conceding the presidency to Trump in a phone call earlier, Clinton addresses supporters and campaign workers in New York on Wednesday, November 9. Her defeat marked a stunning end to a campaign that appeared poised to make her the first woman elected US president. Hide Caption 43 of 43

Already, Clinton's campaign ran into criticism for a move that gave the appearance she was capitalizing on a deadly storm. Earlier in the week, the campaign spent $63,000 on advertisements to air on The Weather Channel -- which would have aired during coverage of the hurricane, while the station's viewership swelled.

On Thursday, Clinton's campaign -- facing backlash from Republicans including former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush spokeswoman Kristy Campbell -- delayed that buy until after the hurricane

Test for governors

Matthew isn't just a test for presidential candidates.

Governors like Scott and South Carolina's Nikki Haley will be judged for their response.

In North Carolina, incumbent Republican Gov. Pat McCrory is struggling against Democratic challenger Rory Cooper in another race that could hinge on McCrory's handling of disaster efforts.

Trump, meanwhile, has personal properties at stake in Florida. His prized Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach and his golf club in Jupiter could face the storm's fury.

A Trump aide said the Republican nominee "spoke to his employees yesterday to ensure they were being safe and following instructions from local officials. The club is not open for the season yet."

Trump on Thursday offered his thoughts and prayers to "everyone in the path of Hurricane Matthew" and warned residents to heed authorities' calls for evacuations.

"Nothing is more important than the safety of your family," Trump said in a statement. Trump later told a town hall audience in New Hampshire that he had spoken with Scott.

On CNN's "New Day," Trump's running mate, Mike Pence, said he would "just encourage people not only to keep the people in Florida, and up the Eastern seaboard in their prayers, but also to be supportive of organizations like the Red Cross that are going to be tested in the days ahead as they come alongside families."

Natural disasters have intervened repeatedly in recent presidential contests -- starting in 1992, when Hurricane Andrew slammed into Florida as President George H.W. Bush squared off in a general election battle with then-Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton.

After three days of waiting for federal relief, Kate Hale, who was Dade County's emergency manager, famously stood in front of TV cameras and asked: "Where's the cavalry?"

"There was a sense that George H.W. Bush wasn't watching his backyard -- he was too busy with international affairs," said Tevi Troy, a former George W. Bush White House aide and historian who wrote the book "Shall We Wake the President? Two Centuries of Disaster Management from the Oval Office."

Past political storms

Eight years later, his son -- then a Texas governor who'd learned from his father's failures in handling disasters like fires in 1998 -- forced Al Gore into a major error. Gore, who was then vice president, claimed in a debate that he'd accompanied Federal Emergency Management Agency Director James Lee Witt on a tour of the fire-damaged lands in Texas. Gore had not, and Bush's team successfully labeled him a serial exaggerator for it.

But Bush's second term was ultimately undone by Hurricane Katrina, with federal help again slow to arrive and the President's helicopter tour of the flooded New Orleans making him appear detached.

A natural disaster again intervened in election season in 2012, when Hurricane Sandy struck the East Coast of the United States.

The storm stunted Mitt Romney's ability to score political points against Obama in the final weeks of the race. It sidelined New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a prominent Romney surrogate who was suddenly touring storm damage alongside Obama. And it thrust Obama into a leading role, demonstrating the advantage of incumbency.

Trump himself weighed in on Sandy in 2012, calling it a boon to Obama's re-election chances because of his ability to dole out federal aid.

"Hurricane is good luck for Obama again- he will buy the election by handing out billions of dollars," he tweeted on October 30, just days before the election.

Trump's own reaction to a natural disaster has already helped him once in the 2016 race: He toured Louisiana in the wake of floods there this summer, revealing a compassionate side of the bombastic billionaire.

Though 24-hour cable news has changed the importance of presidential candidates' actions, natural disasters have challenged presidents and candidates through the United States' history, Troy said.

In the country's early days -- before the advent of mass communication -- presidents did little to address disasters in part because they had no way to learn about them in real time. It took James Madison six weeks, for example, to learn that a massive earthquake had struck Missouri.

Then, there were questions about the president's role. In 1889, when more than 2,200 people were killed when a dam broke in Pennsylvania, President Benjamin Harrison sent a personal check to the victims.