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Politics

Promising to Put 'Florida First,' Adam Putnam Kicks Off Gubernatorial Bid

May 10, 2017 - 12:30pm

Vowing to put “Florida first,” state Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam kicked off his bid to be the Sunshine State’s 46th governor on Wednesday with an event in Polk County. 

Putnam, who filed his paperwork to run last week, made his opening pitch for why he should be the next governor of the Sunshine State, playing up his Florida roots. 
 
“I’m fortunate - I have been a Floridian all my life,” Putnam said in his speech which was released to the media. “I grew up in my family’s citrus and cattle business. Like any small business, workdays were not nine-to-five. And there were no holidays. That life taught me responsibility. Hard work. Perseverance. Responsibility. These are common values. And too often in our society, they are forgotten.
 
“It has been an honor to serve my community, my friends, my neighbors, my state, and my country. But for me, it’s always been Florida first,” Putnam added. “We’ve got to put Florida first to make sure that it isn’t only the place where people come after a life well-lived somewhere else; it’s where they come to launch their own American Dream.”

Putnam expounded on that point, insisting Florida can lead the nation by focusing on free market principles. 
 
“Our state can be the launch pad for the American Dream,” Putnam said. “The state that is the fishing capital of the world can also be the state that builds the boats and trains the craftsmen. The state that trained millions of soldiers and sailors and airmen can retrain our citizens with the skills that allow them to compete in a rapidly changing world – and win. The state that put a man on the moon can build the tools for the next giant leap for mankind.
 
“American exceptionalism is real. If you ever doubt that… look at the grocery clerk in Lakeland who revolutionized the supermarket industry…or the cashier on I-Drive who now owns the souvenir shop,” Putnam continued. “Hard-working folks like these have been able to achieve their American Dream right here in Florida. I want every single Floridian to be able to tell a similar story. I want people around the country to know this is where it happens.
 
“It’s why we have more work to do,” Putnam added. “It’s why we’ve got to keep fighting to put Florida first and make our state the launch pad for the American Dream. And it’s why I am running for governor of the great state of Florida.
 
“Together, we can put Florida first so that every Floridian can launch their American Dream,” Putnam said in closing. 
 
Putnam was joined by World War II veteran J.J. Corbett, who served on the Polk County School Board, and Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd at the event in Bartow. In the coming days, Putnam is scheduled to take a bus tour across the state, starting in the Tampa Bay region on Thursday before hitting Naples, Ft. Myers, Sebring and Okeechobee later in the week. Next week, Putnam is scheduled to hit South Florida, the Space Coast, Central Florida, the First Coast and the Panhandle.

First elected to the Florida House in 1996--when he was only 22--Putnam has been rising up the political ranks for more than two decades. After two terms in the state House, during which he led the House Agriculture Committee, Putnam ran for Congress in 2000 and was elected. In his ten years in Congress, Putnam became part of the GOP leadership, chairing the House Republican Conference and the House Republican Policy Committee. In 2010, Putnam ran for his current post, defeating former Tallahassee Mayor Scott Maddox with ease in the general election. Four years later, Putnam routed Democrat Thad Hamilton to win another term. 

Putnam is the first major Republican candidate to get into the gubernatorial race. Possible other GOP candidates include businessman and rancher Ronnie Bergeron, state House Speaker Richard Corcoran, U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis and state Sen. Jack Latvala. On the Democratic side, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham and businessman Chris King are in the race. Possible other Democratic candidates include Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine, attorney John Morgan and former U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy. 

Comments

We need a bureaucrat like Putnam like we need a third nostril. First off Adam, Putnam does not respect Property Rights, and he lobbies for more money from the state at budget time rather than managing his department and making it smaller. We need a Scott-like or a Trump-like replacement. I am for drafting someone like Richard DeVos to Replace Rick Scott.

Oh come on. "Florida First." How about "Make Florida Great Again." Don't these guys have any new lines?

So proud of Adam Putnam. He has worked so hard to get to where he is. He will be a great Governor!

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