ORLANDO, Fla. — One of the biggest races in Tuesday’s election is the Florida governor’s race.

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Gov. Ron DeSantis is hoping to secure reelection while also juggling the state’s storm preparation for Tropical Storm Nicole. He is running against former Gov. Charlie Crist.

Polls and early voting numbers are in DeSantis’ favor, and he seems to have little doubt that he will be giving a victory speech tonight.

As of last night, almost 5 million people voted early, and already hundreds of thousands of votes have been cast across the state. Republicans are leading the early voting numbers by a hefty margin. Some polls have DeSantis leading by double digits.

READ: Election Day 2022: Less than an hour to go before the polls close in Florida

It is estimated that two out of every three voters who moved to Florida in the last four years are Republicans, something that could tip the state from purple to red.

A few months ago, Republicans celebrated passing Democrats in the state for overall voter registration numbers. Republicans are now banking on that advantage to definitively move Florida from tossup to GOP stronghold.

Republicans this midterm election are anticipating not just a win, but a blowout.

READ: Election 2022 live updates: Millions head to the polls to decide control of Congress

“It sure looks that way, if you look at the amount of money raised by Gov. DeSantis and the Republican Party if you look at the trends in voter registration, with Republicans taking a lead in Florida for the first time in history,” said University of Central Florida political science professor Aubrey Jewett.

She said while upsets can and do happen, everything from polling to fundraising favors the Florida GOP to do something unseen since Jeb Bush in 2002: win statewide by more than 10 points, and also win the Democratic stronghold of Miami-Dade County.

“It looks like a red wave is coming to Florida,” Jewett said.

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Election officials still reporting low turnout for 2022 midterms (WFTV)

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