ORLANDO, Fla. – On the eve of the November election, Floridians are seeing some of the lowest prices at the gas pump in 2024.

According to AAA, the state average for regular gas dropped 13 cents per gallon last week. On Monday, the state average reached $3.01 per gallon, nearly 20 cents below where the average price was this time of year in 2023.

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“Florida gas prices are at their lowest levels since January 2024,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman for AAA. “Over the weekend, more than 60% of Florida filling stations had gas prices below $3 a gallon. There’s a good chance the state average dips below $3 a gallon in the coming days.”

In Orlando, the current gas price average fell to $2.98 a gallon.

Florida’s current average is almost 10 cents lower than the national average of $3.10 per gallon.

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida’s election will test whether the state maintains its new reputation as a Republican stronghold, or whether Democrats make some gains by tapping into the support for abortion and marijuana ballot questions and the new energy Vice President Kamala Harris brings to the race.

Gone are the days when Florida was looked at as the biggest prize among swing states. After former President Barack Obama won Florida twice, former President Donald Trump carried the state by a whisker in 2016 and then by a much larger share in 2020. In 2022, Republicans took all five statewide seats on the ballot by landslide margins.

Still, there is a lot of buzz over constitutional amendments that could protect abortion rights and legalize recreational marijuana, with both sides of each issue pumping millions of dollars into advertising. Democrats support the ballot measures and hope they boost turnout to give them at least a chance stopping Trump’s third straight Florida victory and keeping U.S. Sen. Rick Scott from winning a second term.

The only statewide office on the ballot is Scott’s Senate seat. Scott is being challenged by former Democratic U.S. Rep. Debbie Murcarsel-Powell in a race that’s been overshadowed by the presidential election and the abortion and marijuana ballot questions.

Even if Trump and Scott are victorious in Florida, Democratic Party Chairwoman Nikki Fried said the election will be a huge success if the amendments pass and the party flips enough legislative seats to take away the Republicans’ supermajority.

“Look where we were in of November 2022. We had the largest loss that Florida Democrats have ever experienced,” Fried said. “Nobody anticipated that we would even have this conversation today, that the polls are showing that we are tight, that there was even a possibility that Florida would be in play. Everybody counted us out.”

Still, it’s an uphill climb. The amendments need support from at least 60% of voters, and there’s enough money being spent against them that it could create doubts among voters who normally support the issues, said Florida-based Republican political strategist Jamie Miller.

“As a general rule, amendments pass if there’s no real effort against them and they fail when there are real efforts against them,” Miller said.

Miller also believes Democrats are motivated to vote against the Republicans they don’t like rather than be inspired by their own candidates.

“I see excitement against Donald Trump and against Rick Scott, but that as a general rule in the state the size of Florida is not enough to get you across the line,” he said.

Scott served two terms as governor, winning each with less than 50% of the vote. In 2018, he defeated incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson in a race decided by 0.2 percentage points. But Florida politics changed. The last time Scott was on the ballot, Democrats outnumbered Republicans in the state. Republicans now have a million-voter advantage.

Scott, one of the richest members of Congress, pumped millions of dollars of his own money into the race, as he has with his previous three elections. Far outspent, and with little money coming in from national Democrats until the last few weeks of the race, Murcarsel-Powell struggled to gain attention.

While Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis wasn’t on the ballot, he spent time campaigning against the abortion rights and marijuana amendments. DeSantis even used state agencies to fight the amendment, with the Agency for Health Care Administration set up a website and aired TV ads providing information on abortion and the Department of Health tried to stop television stations from airing a pro-amendment ad.

The abortion amendment would protect the rights of women to have an abortion up to the point the fetus can survive outside the womb. Florida now bans abortion six weeks after conception, when many women don’t realize they are pregnant.

Voters overwhelming approved medical marijuana in 2016. This year they’re being asked to legalize recreational marijuana. The marijuana industry has spent tens of millions of dollars on the campaign, while DeSantis has raised money against it and criticized it often during official events.

Very few, if any, of Florida’s 28 congressional seats are competitive, but the state will elect at least one new member to Congress. Former Senate President Mike Haridopolos is favored to replace retiring Republican Rep. Bill Posey. He’s being challenged by Democrat Sandy Kennedy in a strong Republican district.

Republicans will maintain firm control of the Legislature. Democrats will consider it a major victory if they flip enough seats to remove the supermajority GOP hold in the House and Senate.

One of the legislative seats being heavily targeted is held by Republican Sen. Corey Simon, a former Florida State and NFL football star who is being challenged by nationally known civil rights lawyer Daryl Parks, who is the former partner of civil rights lawyer Ben Crump.

Florida State finished last season with a 23-11 record (12-6 ACC) before falling to Alabama in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament.

The year before that Florida State finished with a 23-10 record (12-6 ACC) before falling to Georgia in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament.

Do you sense a pattern?

Florida State has established itself as a consistently good program but the Seminoles have struggled to break through when it counts the most – the NCAA Tournament. FSU last won an NCAA Tournament game on March 22, 2019 defeating Bucknell 70-67.

The Noles are blessed with a talented, deep, and experienced roster so the pieces are in place. The question is whether FSU will be able to take advantage of the opportunity.

Let’s take a closer look at the Seminoles.

Roster

Arrivals

Raiane Dias Dos Santos (R-So., Gulf Coast State College)

Morelia Chavez (Jr., Eastern Arizona College)

Sydney Bowles (Jr., Texas A&M)

Malea Williams (Gr., Cincinnati)

Departures

Alexis Tucker (Graduated)

Sara Bejedi (Graduated)

Lucia Navarro (Transfer, Oregon State)

Sakyia White (Transfer, UL Monroe)

Backcourt

The Seminoles are blessed with a talented and experienced backcourt. Of course it all begins with ACC Player of the Year candidate Ta’Niya Latson (21.4pts, 4.2reb, .438 FG, .853 FT). Her line in her freshman year was 21.3 points, 4.5 reb, .455 FG, .859 FT. In other words, she has been remarkably productive and consistent in her time in Tallahassee. Latson’s three point percentage fell from .362 to .270 last year so that is one area where she can improve. Nevertheless, Latson is clearly one of the best players in the nation. If she can improve that three point percentage while continuing to attack the rim and get to the line she is more than talented enough to lead this team well past the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Latson is on the preseason shooting guard of the year watchlist. She has also been named preseason first team all-ACC.

Senior O’Mariah Gordon will join Latson in the backcourt. OMG has been bedeviled by injuries for much of her career in Tallahassee but last year she was largely healthy. Gordon started all 34 games (13.2 pts, .423 FG, .384 3pt, .791 FT, 3.32 ast.) and was the court general at the point guard spot that the Seminoles really needed. The Noles are an uptempo team and that style fits Gordon’s game perfectly. She always pushes the pace and is not afraid to take it into the paint. If she can improve her assist total just a bit that would pay big dividends for the offense.

Carla Viegas will be an important player for FSU adding depth off the bench. Viegas is a knockdown shooter from deep (.352). She struggled to find her form early in the year but improved later in the season. Viegas will be counted on to provide scoring off the bench. If she can hit open shots while playing good defense Viegas will be rewarded with plenty of minutes.

Wings

Brianna “Snoop” Turnage earned a position as a solid starter by the end of the year. She provides defense and rebounding which is what FSU needs from her on the wing. Turnage is a versatile player who combines the size and length to guard frontcourt players with the quickness needed to check guards. Turnage averaged 2.1 points but the more important statistic for her is the 6.2 rebounds that she averaged last year.

Amaya Bonner was a player that flashed her tantalizing talent last year. She came up huge early in the year against Tennessee leading the Noles to the 92-91 win with eleven big fourth quarter points. Bonner is another versatile wing who can slide into the backcourt when needed. If Bonner can improve her consistency she has the ability to earn plenty of minutes.

Sydney Bowles is a player to watch. Bowles was a top 40 recruit coming out of high school and she got off to a hot start as a freshman at Texas A&M. She led the Aggies in total points that year and was named to the SEC All-Freshman team. She suffered a sophomore slump last year and that resulted in her transfer to FSU. Bowles is a streaky shooter who can be deadly from deep when she gets hot. She also features the size and length to help Florida State defensively on the wing.

Raiane Dias Dos Santos and Morelia Chavez are two newcomers who have the ability to space the floor with three point shooting. Dias Dos Santos (.363 3pt) and Chavez (.412 3pt) have the ability to knock down shots. Their amount of playing time will likely be largely determined by how well they do on the defensive end.

Frontcourt

Makayla Timpson is back to anchor the frontcourt and that is extremely good news for Nole Nation. Timpson averaged a double-double last year (14.3pts, 10reb.) and was simply one of the most consistent players in the nation last year. Timpson is a very good rebounder especially on the offensive glass and she offers extremely reliable scoring in the post. Timpson is on the power forward of the year preseason watch list. She has also been named first team preseason all-ACC.

Florida State was a small team last year and the staff openly recognized the need to get bigger. Enter graduate student Malea Williams who transfers in from Cincinnati. Williams (8.3pts, 5.9reb) offers size at 6’4 but she also has the length and athleticism that the Seminoles need in the post. Williams is a stretch five as she shot .368 from deep last year. However, FSU really just needs Williams to provide rebounding and defense. Any offense will be gravy.

Avery Treadwell is another player who was ready last year when her number was called. Treadwell didn’t see a ton of action last year as a true freshman but with a year of experience under her belt she is poised for a bigger contribution this year. Treadwell is another player who offers size and rebounding.

Mariana Valenzuela is a player with a ton of upside. Valenzuela did not play for FSU last year due to a torn ACL that she suffered while playing FIBA basketball for Mexico in the summer of 2023. She was sorely missed. Valenzuela could potentially be a big piece of the puzzle for FSU this year. At 6’2 she shot .533 (40-75) from deep as a freshman two years ago. That stat says it all about her shooting ability. But it doesn’t end there. Valenzuela is also a rugged rebounder with the size to defend bigs in the post. Her absence last year was a major reason that FSU was not able to get over the hump in the postseason. Valenzuela has not fully recovered from her injury and will not be available to start the season. However, the staff is confident that she will be healthy enough to join the team at some point this season.

Outlook

Florida State has been an uptempo team under head coach Brooke Wyckoff. That will not change this year. In fact, the Seminoles will lean even more into playing as fast as possible. The Noles will extend their defense more often to pressure teams. The staff is confident in the depth of the team so they aren’t afraid to play substitutes off the bench.

If things break right (like getting Valenzuela back sooner rather than later) the pieces are in place for an impressive postseason run. The ACC is never easy and it will be particularly tough this year with six teams in the preseason top 25.

If Latson and Timpson can take the next step to become truly dominant players consistently and if Valenzuela can return soon (hopefully before the conference schedule starts) the ceiling is high for this group.

As always health will be a big factor in how FSU does this year. Assuming everything remains in place this team has what it takes to make some serious noise in both the conference and nationally.

Next Game

Florida State will host North Florida tomorrow at 11:00am in Tallahassee. The game will be broadcast on the ACC Network Extra.