Ready on the far, far right: Welcome to the governor’s race.

Consider the Republican candidates for governor and their priorities.

Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam proclaimed himself last year to be “a proud NRA sellout.” Questioned recently about that fealty, Putnam tried to tread water by noting that his comment came well before the Marjory Stoneman Douglas massacre. It was “preParkland,” Putnam said, “and it was in a very different context.”

Actually, the comment sounded dumb and pandering at the time. After the massacre, it sounded far worse. That can happen when reality meets ideology.

More recently, Putnam pledged that he would sign a so-called “heartbeat bill.” The Iowa Legislature just approved legislation to make abortion illegal after a doctor can hear a fetus’ heartbeat, perhaps only six weeks after conception. Women might not know that soon if they are pregnant. Charitably, there are exemptions for rape or incest.

The fetus, though, would not be close to viable. The legislation will draw a legal challenge, which seems to be the point. Abortion opponents want a test case to the Supreme Court that could overturn Roe v. Wade. Though North Dakota passed a similar law in 2013 that was struck down without intervention from the high court, abortion foes want to “reload,” as one put it.

Then there’s U.S. Ron DeSantis. Rather than campaign in Florida, DeSantis campaigns almost exclusively on Fox News. For weeks, he’s practically had a casting couch on Sean Hannity’s TV and radio shows. He’s also been chummy with Laura Ingraham, who trashed Stoneman Douglas student David Hogg for not getting into better colleges.

A Politico story this week quoted a TV monitoring service as estimating that Fox’s embrace of DeSantis has amounted to $7.1 million worth of free media. DeSantis, however, spends more time talking about Robert Mueller than issues related to being governor.

Indeed, DeSantis has become the remora on the shark that is President Trump. DeSantis touts Trump’s endorsement and his own efforts to examine such manufactured controversies as Hillary Clinton’s “sale” of uranium to Russia. His website mentions no Florida issues.

And now House Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Land ‘O Lakes, may join this screechy field. Imagine what he might bring to the dance.

We would hear about the threat of “sanctuary cities,” a topic Corcoran often raised in Tallahassee. He praised this year’s House bill that prohibited “sanctuary cities,” even though the staff analysis could cite only two counties — Alachua and Clay — as supposedly not cooperating with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. The legislation died in the Senate.

Unlike DeSantis, Corcoran can talk about his record on Florida issues. Unfortunately, it’s a terrible record.

Most notably, Corcoran for the last two years championed legislation that undercuts traditional public education and helps charter schools that educate only 10 percent of Florida students. Corcoran congratulated himself for the post-Douglas school safety bill that will add no new money for academics and leave school districts short as they comply with new rules on police officers.

Most Floridians would not respond favorably to candidates for governor who say the state needs even more guns, fewer abortions and less money for education. The Republican primary, however, is not about most voters.

The GOP primary is about the most conservative voters in Florida, just as the Democratic primary is about the most liberal voters in Florida.

Generally, the lower the primary turnout, the more partisan the turnout. In Florida, primary turnout is very low. Eight years ago, statewide turnout was 22 percent. In 2014, it was only 17.6 percent. Turnout in Broward County was 10.8 percent. In Palm Beach, it was 13 percent. Because Florida has closed primaries, independents who might have more moderate positions can’t vote.

While Republican candidates battle over who can preach loudest to the right-wing choir, the cost of property insurance in Florida keeps rising and insurers keep drawing complaints for not paying claims. Editorials this week in the Sun Sentinel, Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post have called for action to keep parts of South Florida from being underwater in the coming decades.

Democrats running for governor have talked about these and other important issues. Republicans, though, act as if the typical Floridian worships Donald Trump, owns a dozen firearms, opposes abortion and home-schools his or her children. It’s minority rule — enabled by widespread voter apathy — and it’s hurting Florida.

Randy Schultz’s email address is randy@bocamag.com.