For a moment, it looked like former Florida governor Charlie Crist (D) wasn’t going to have a debate opponent Wednesday night at Broward College. The reason? A fan. Specifically, Governor Rick Scott’s (R) campaign referred to a rule forbidding electronic equipment on stage.

“Are we really going to debate about a fan or are we going to talk about education, and the environment and the future of our state?” Crist asked to applause.

Governor Scott ended up taking his place at the podium about seven minutes later. The second of three debates between the gubernatorial candidates was then underway and delved into issues including student loan debt (both hope to  lower it), gay marriage (Crist supports it, Scott doesn't but will stand by a Supreme Court decision), Obamacare (Crist is for it, Scott is against but both are in favor of Medicaid expansion, albeit disagreeing on its execution) and jobs. 

“Between 2006, when Charlie got elected and Jeb Bush left him with a great economy, and when he left office, the state's [rate of unemployment] went from 3.5 to 11.1 percent, the second highest increase in the country,” Scott said.

Crist attributed the state’s present economic upturn to something else.

“The people of Florida know I didn’t cause the global economic meltdown any more than Rick Scott caused the national economic recovery,” he said. 

The two have just a few more weeks to convince Floridians that they deserve to remain – or return – as governor of the fourth most populated state in America. The New York Times called this race “one of the nation’s closest, costliest and most-watched.”  In one corner is a Republican incumbent pointing to an improved economy since taking office in 2011 as reason for re-election. On the other side is a former Republican, then Independent, now Democrat challenger vying for his old position, held from 2007 to 2011. 

Fraught with negative campaign ads attacking the other competitor instead of detailing political objectives, victory may come down to who voters dislike least. It's a tie.

A CNN/ORC International poll released Tuesday said both candidates have around 44 percent support from voters expected to make it to a booth on November 4. That’s compared to a majority unfavorable view of Scott (52 percent) and Crist (53 percent). Libertarian contender Adrian Wyllie has the support of an estimated nine percent of those polled.

READ MORE: Florida Latino Voters: 'We Don't Think The Government Represents Us' 

“The lack of popularity for both candidates is partly that they both have some baggage,” said Stephen C. Craig, a professor at the University of Florida and director of its Political Campaigning Program. “Scott has been unpopular from pretty much since he’s taken office, largely because of policy that went against the grain of Florida voters. He doesn’t have a particularly endearing style. Crist does but he has the baggage of switching parties… some people hold that very much against him.”

Political analysts anticipate Latino voters will play a large role in deciding the winner – a fact each side is aware of. Scott’s lieutenant governor is Carlos Lopez-Cantera, a real estate consult who's Cuban-American, while Crist’s running mate is Annette Taddeo-Goldstein, a Colombian-American business woman. 

Craig believes that if the race is as tight as the polls say it is, every vote will count. 

“Clearly the Latino vote is going to play a role here and that will largely depend on turnout," he said. 

It also comes down to who shows up to the polls.

“Cubans are traditionally more Republican and younger Cubans are trending toward Democratic. It’s a community in flux,” Craig said. “In general, the impact of any group in the electorate whether it be Latino, black, young people, women depends largely on turnout and turnout tends to be low on an off year.”

The final debate between Scott and Crist will take place in Jacksonville on Tuesday, October 21. 

Reach Staff Reporter Maritza Moulite here or follow her on Twitter here.