Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater and Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam cruised to easy victories in their re-election campaigns Tuesday evening.
Atwater clinched the win over Democrat William Rankin, taking 59 percent of the vote. Rankin took 40 percent.
Neither candidate’s victory comes as a big surprise — both were heavily favored in several polls to win their re-election campaigns.
Rankin, a 54-year-old businessman from Delray Beach, switched from being a Republican to an independent in 2004 and eventually registered as a Democrat in 2012.
Despite his party affiliation, Rankin didn’t enjoy much support from the Democratic Party — he was repeatedly left out of many Democratic campaign events and failed to raise significant cash for his campaign.
Atwater, on the other hand, has been a prominent figure in Florida politics for nearly 15 years. In 2000, he was elected to the Florida House of Representatives. In 2002, he ran for the Florida Senate against Democrat Bob Butterworth. Atwater eventually served as Senate president from 2008-2010. When former CFO Alex Sink decided to run for governor in 2010, Atwater made his first run to replace her, defeating state Rep. Loranne Ausley with an overwhelming 57 percent.
Rankin was largely absent on the campaign scene and plagued by unanswered questions about his background.
Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam took 59 percent of the vote in Tuesday’s election against Democrat Thaddeus “Thad” Hamilton. Hamilton took 40 percent of the vote as of publishing time.
Putnam, who became commissioner of agriculture in 2011, enjoyed significant name recognition and support from fellow Republicans. Putnam raised $2.9 million for his re-election bid. Hamilton failed to raise as much cash, bringing in only $21,000 as of two weeks ago.
“First, I want to thank my wife Melissa and our beautiful children for supporting and encouraging me throughout this process,” said Putnam. “I also want to thank Florida’s voters for believing in my priorities and supporting my accomplishments as Commissioner of Agriculture. We’ve grown Florida’s agriculture industry, safeguarded our residents, fostered academic success for our next generation and honored American veterans.
In four years, conservative leadership in Tallahassee cut unemployment in half, paid off $4 billion in debt and put another $3 billion in the bank. We’ve fostered a culture of problem solving that has long been forgotten in places like Washington D.C., New York, Illinois and California. Florida can be the model for fighting the big problems that need solving for our children, grandchildren and all the generations who deserve a better version of the Florida we already love,” he said.
Reach Tampa-based reporter Allison Nielsen via email at allison@sunshinestatenews.com or follow her on Twitter: @AllisonNielsen
