ORLANDO, Fla. — On Tuesday night, President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden will face off in a debate in Ohio for the first time on the national stage, but Florida will play a big part in this election.

With just five weeks until Election Day, the candidates are honing in on critical visits to battleground states where the presidency can be won or lost by just a few votes, as we know all too well from the 2000 election in the Sunshine State.

A University of Central Florida political science professor calls the I-4 corridor the Swing Region of the Swing State.

Political parties in Central Florida know that and are working every day until Election Day.

"Florida really is the most important swing state," Aubrey Jewett said.

He has a published chapter on Florida's importance in presidential elections, including our history as a swing state.

"If you look back at the last six presidential elections, Florida has voted for the winner every time. And that means we have voted three times for the Republican candidate and three times for the Democratic candidate," Jewett explained.

Jewett said Florida has gained the reputation as the largest swing state with 29 electoral votes because of the tremendous population growth over the past few decades, making for more diverse voters.

"In the past World War II era, we have grown by 2 to 3 million people a decade, every decade," he said.

Jewett said to win Florida, candidates have to spend big money here and visit often.

Meanwhile, Seminole County Republican Party is preparing for Trump's visit on Friday.

"That helps us in Florida. That helps us in Seminole, and of course that helps the president," Seminole County Republican Party Chairwoman Linda Trocine said.

She said this election is about safety and jobs, and supporters will be door knocking, holding phone banks, and hosting events to engage voters.

"He loves the American people. He wants us to be prosperous. He's done so many things. He's kept his promises, and he's going to do a lot more for America," Trocine said.

The Orange County Democratic Party also recognizes the challenges of winning Florida.

"We're doing an aggressive mail campaign, at levels we've never done in this county before. We're doing a very aggressive text message campaign," Orange County Democratic Party Chairman Wes Hodge said.

He said every election is a fight, and they cannot take anything for granted, working hard to get Biden in the White House.

"We need to restore who we are as a country, the promise of America, and make sure we're doing everything we can do everything we can to lead the world, instead of watching the world pass us by," Hodge said.

Jewett said Florida Division of Elections numbers from last month for party registration shows about 1 percent separating Republican and Democratic voters, with Democrats having that slight lead.