Could a celebrity candidate like Gloria Estefan or Nick Saban be a political wild card?

Imagine this scene from a political rally in the not-too-distant future: The preliminary remarks and introductions have all been made, and the featured candidate is about to take the stage.

The sound system operator plays Gloria Estefan's dance hit, "Get On Your Feet," to whip the crowd into a frenzy. In the past, there have been situations where candidates have gotten into trouble for using songs for political purposes without the artists' permission, but that isn't an issue in this scenario.

The candidate and the artist, in this case, are one in the same.

Estefan, a Miami resident who co-owns the Costa d'Este Beach Resort and Spa in Vero Beach, hasn't announced plans to run for the U.S. Senate seat held by Rick Scott or any other political office.

But imagine what the response would be if she did. Despite being a newcomer to politics, her fame, money and influence would make her an instant contender for almost any seat that might interest her.

The same is true of legendary University of Alabama football coach Nick Saban, who bought a beachfront home on Jupiter Island earlier this year. Or tennis great Venus Williams or golfing star Tiger Woods, who are also Jupiter Island residents.

And let's not forget Jason Aldean, the country music singer who bought a home on Hutchinson Island in Stuart last year.

Any of the above could be wild cards who could shake up Florida's political system, if they were inclined to do so.

So far, they haven't been inclined. That doesn't mean they never will be.

From his music and his public statements, Aldean seems to have conservative leanings. With some other celebrities, it isn't as easy to tell where their political allegiances might lie.

Some try to avoid partisan skirmishes so they don't alienate parts of their potential fan bases.

For example, Estefan and her husband, Emilio, spent decades talking about Cuban-American political issues to both Democratic and Republican presidents without committing to either poltical party.

However, they created a stir in 2010 by donating money to Barack Obama. More recently, the Estefans joined forces with Latino stars, including Pitbull, Thalia, Wyclef Jean and Rita Moreno to produce a song protesting Donald Trump's rhetoric about undocumented immigrants.

During COVID, Gloria Estefan produced a public service announcement encouraging people to wear masks ― which was then, and probably still is now, more of a cause championed by Democrats than Republicans.

Although Cuban-Americans are sometimes automatically assumed to have Republican leanings, that might not be true in the Estefans' case. (Gloria Estefan is listed in state voter records as having no party affiliation.)

Saban's politics are also a bit of a mystery. Although he's spent most of his career avoiding that arena, last year he joined other sports figures with West Virginia ties in urging U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, a Democrat, to support the Freedom to Vote Act.

My basic thought about celebrities is to assume they aren't political ... up until the moment they decide they are. There are plenty of examples of celebrities who've successfully made the transition to political life.

Tommy Tuberville, a Republican U.S. senator from Alabama, was a college football coach at several schools, including Saban's arch-rival, Auburn University. Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger and pro wrestler Jesse Ventura were governors of California and Minnesota, respectively.

And, of course, our most recent ex-president is Trump, a former reality television star.

I'm not suggesting celebrities necessarily make the best political candidates. Having worked in Tennesee state government for several years, I know governing isn't as easy as it may seem to outsiders. However, I also know we live in a celebrity-obsessed culture, where being famous is often considered to be a sign of high ability, good character, or both.

For that reason, finding a celebrity candidate could give a boost to a political party that's been struggling to find strong contenders with more conventional political backgrounds.

I'm thinking about Florida Democrats in this context. For decades, the state has been trending Republican, to the point where we have a Republican governor, a Republican supermajority in the Legislature, a majority-Republican congressional delegation, and on down the line.

Republicans have a deep bench of potential candidates who've risen through the political ranks in the usual way. The Democrats? Well, they're not quite as fortunate.

Republican dominance at the upper levels of government doesn't leave much room for Democrats to achieve the kind of great political victories that attract voters' attention.

Democrats may still win mayoral elections in some of the state's larger cities, as Donna Deegan demonstrated in Jacksonville earlier this year, but even a big-city mayor can't do much against a Legislature that's not afraid to usurp home rule powers.

It's not like I'm putting ideas into the Democrats' heads that weren't already there.

Earlier this year, Democrats tried to recruit either Grant Hill and Dwyane Wade, both former pro basketball stars, to run against Scott in next year's Senate election. Wade and Hill didn't jump into the race, but other athletes near the end of their playing careers, like Woods or Williams, might. And after watching Saban's Alabama team get humbled by the University of Texas last weekend, it's fair to wonder how many more years he plans to coach.

Estefan, who turned 66 on Sept. 1, could be looking for a final act in her long career in the public eye.

At this point, Scott's toughest Democratic challenger for next year's Senate race appears to be former Congresswoman Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, who might have difficulty winning a statewide race against the beaver that serves as the Buc-ee's convenience store chain's mascot.

Unless a wild-card candidate emerges, Scott is probably going to waltz to re-election. But if the Democrats find the right celebrity candidate, perhaps even one with ties to the Treasure Coast, then all bets are off.

This column reflects the opinion of Blake Fontenay. Contact him via email at bfontenay@gannett.com or at 772-232-5424.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Nick Saban, Gloria Estefan could be potential 'wild card' candidates