GOP should choose polished Putnam over upstart DeSantis

Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putman is by far the most capable candidate running in the Republican gubernatorial primary. The Sun Sentinel Editorial Board recommends GOP voters choose him on Aug. 28 as their nominee for governor.

Putnam, 44, has been an effective elected political figure and a rational voice in Republican politics for more than two decades. He has been campaigning the old-fashioned way, combing the state and building a strong network of supporters.

He understands the importance of a handshake in politics and seeks to connect with voters on a grassroots level. Putnam has done his homework, paid his dues, and earned the privilege of seeking Florida’s highest elective office.

Unfortunately, the race has degenerated into a quasi-referendum on President Donald Trump’s brand of populism. That’s due to the president’s ill-conceived endorsement of Ron DeSantis, a threeterm member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Palm Coast.

DeSantis has a powerful soapbox in Fox News, which regularly gives him airtime to dutifully support President Trump in everything he says and does.

The presidential endorsement, confirmed at a Trump rally Tuesday in Tampa, smacks of a quid pro quo for the kind words DeSantis spouts from his TV platform. For the president to ignore a candidate as qualified as Putnam and inject himself in this race is an affront to the primary election system, and voters should regard it as such.

DeSantis, 39, accuses Putnam of being a “career politician,” but that career has groomed Putnam for the most important political office in Florida. In 1996 he was elected from a Central Florida district to the first of two terms in the Florida House of Representatives, where he learned the ins-and-outs of state government. At 22, Putnam was the youngest person ever elected to that body.

He then spent 10 years in the U.S. House of Representatives where he became chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee, one of a handful of GOP House leadership positions.

Putnam left Washington to run for Agriculture Commissioner, a position he won easily in 2010 and again in 2014. It was a natural fit, since Putnam grew up in Bartow in a family of citrus farmers and cattle ranchers. By running one of Florida’s most important departments, he gained vital administrative experience.

DeSantis has a bachelor’s degree from Yale and a law degree from Harvard. He served as a naval officer in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps and saw service in Iraq and Guantanamo. A Tea Party favorite, he belongs to the far-right Freedom Caucus, whose members embrace government shutdowns and fancy themselves as “disruptors.” But Florida doesn’t need any more disruptions. It needs mature, experienced and steady leadership from the governor.

Given the polarizing nature of today’s politics, both candidates brand themselves as the conservative in the race. As to who is the most conservative, that’s tough to determine, since on many issues there’s virtually no space between them.

Both oppose the legalization of recreational marijuana. Their support for the Second Amendment won each of them the NRA’s seal of approval. Both support banning abortions once a heartbeat is detected in the fetus. Each advocates strong state cooperation with the federal government to curb illegal immigration.

An issue on which they do diverge, however, are the noxious algae blooms in Lake Okeechobee and surrounding waterways that threaten the state’s tourist industry. DeSantis blames pollution from the sugar industry, which is a strong financial supporter of Putnam. DeSantis points out that he voted against sugar subsidies as a member of Congress.

Putnam knows Big Sugar resides south of the lake and the cause of the blooms is multifaceted, but largely involves agricultural runoff and leaking septic tanks. Putnam has been a supporter of Everglades restoration throughout his political career. As governor, he would be far more capable than DeSantis of forging a consensus to address the algae blooms.

Unfortunately, what we are seeing in the Republican race is the nationalization of state politics. President Trump has strong support among the Republican base and his endorsement means a lot in the primary. That endorsement won’t mean much in the general election, however, where the people who need to be swayed are independent voters.

Putnam has the statewide network needed to get people to the polls. He has a long and successful record in elective public office, including state office. He’s well known and well liked, and he deserves to be the Republican nominee for governor.

Also on the Republican ballot are: Don Baldauf of Bradenton; Timothy Divine of Leesburg; Bob Langford of Tallahassee; John Joseph Mercadante of Miami; Bruce Nathan of Stuart; and Bob White of Melbourne.

Editorials are the opinion of the Sun Sentinel Editorial Board and written by one of its members or a designee. The Editorial Board consists of Editorial Page Editor Rosemary O’Hara, Andy Reid and Editor-in-Chief Julie Anderson.