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Politics

Putnam Promises American Exceptionalism Through Focus on Florida to RPOF in Tampa

April 29, 2017 - 9:15am

Adam Putnam hasn’t said he’s running for governor -- yet -- but he continued to stoke the fire of his rumored gubernatorial bid to a group of Republican party faithful Saturday morning.

Putnam headlined the Republican Party of Florida’s spring quarterly meeting in Tampa, promising more victories to a party fresh off of a winning season last year.

Florida, Putnam said, was the apple of conservatives’ eyes, with a Republican governor, Cabinet, and GOP-controlled state legislature.

“We are the envy of the nation for conservative values and a conservative approach to governing the third largest state in the nation,” he said. 

Around the room, orange and green koozies emblazoned with Putnam’s political committee name and the signature Florida orange filled the tables.

Party members listened intently as Putnam praised President Donald Trump for his first 100 days in office, talked about focusing on small Florida businesses, lowering statewide unemployment and respecting police officers.

Putnam wasted no time touting his own accomplishments as Florida’s agriculture commissioner. 

He highlighted numbers of concealed weapons permits (now up to 1.6 million) and protecting the Second Amendment, which he said were important ways to give Floridians their God-given constitutional rights and to keeping Florida conservative.

Despite Florida’s successes, Putnam said there was no room to let up.

“Complacency is not a part of our vocabulary,” he told the crowd. “Candidates matter. Values matter. Grassroots is king.”

Putnam acknowledged Democrats are in a similar position Republicans found themselves in eight years ago when Barack Obama swept the country and took the White House by storm.

Republicans were angry, Putnam said. So they acted.

So now, the Democrats, too, are reacting to an unprecedented swing to the right on the national political stage -- something which Putnam explained rings all too familiar to the way the GOP acted when party members shook up the political system last year.

Democrats are already beefing up their gubernatorial options, with Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum and businessman Chris King officially declaring their candidacies earlier this year.

Other names are also floating around to run for the state’s highest office -- and Putnam wasted no time trashing them, too.

“John Morgan, really?” he asked the crowd, recalling the Orlando uber attorney’s profanity-laced rant at Boots and Buckles Saloon in Polk County in 2014. “Is that who we are?”

While Putnam has not officially declared his candidacy, he continues to lay the groundwork for a likely gubernatorial bid, fueling speculation as weeks go by. 

Putnam spent the majority of the morning rubbing shoulders with party officials and with local members, whose support he will need to push out other contenders in a primary to nab the Republican gubernatorial candidacy. 

House Speaker Richard Corcoran and Senate Appropriations Chair Jack Latvala are also rumored to be feeling out the possibility of running for the job.

Meanwhile, Putnam continues reel in cash through his Florida Grown political committee laying the groundwork for his likely 2018 gubernatorial run.

Just last month, Putnam raised over a million dollars in the committee, adding to a total of nearly $11 million raised over the last two years.

The time is now, Putnam said, to push forward with Republican ideals. 

“We can only accomplish what we want to accomplish with conservative principles,” he told the party.

Still, Putnam said, they can’t do it alone.

“We have so much further to go,” he said. “We win elections together. We rise together. We win -- together.”

 

 

Reach reporter Allison Nielsen by email at allison@sunshinestatenews.com or follow her on Twitter: @AllisonNielsen.

 

Comments

As an independent, I'm still cautiously optimistic. However, I wouldn't go tooting the first 100 days, a lot of hopeful ideas, but nothing passed. The party faithful get all fired up over nothing , though, so party on...

Here we go again with the establishment party line go team. If he is the best the RPOF can muster then we are in bigger trouble than you know.

Adam is a wonderful man, who genuinely KNOWS Florida -- He's MY choice for becoming Governor!

Can't wait for Richie Corcoran to send this spoiled little hack back to the estate in Bartow. He hasn't done anything but run for office since college. Total pantload.

GO "OPIE"!!!...I'm with YOU !!!!!

This is great news!

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