Adam Putnam
Adam Hughes Putnam (born July 31, 1974) is an American politician who served as the 11th Commissioner of Agriculture of Florida from 2011 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives for five terms, representing the Central Florida-based 12th congressional district. He chaired the House Republican Conference from 2007 to 2009. In May 2017, he announced he was running for Governor of Florida in the 2018 election. Putnam was initially considered the frontrunner for the Republican nomination, but lost the primary to U.S. Representative Ron DeSantis. DeSantis went on to win the general election against Tallahassee Mayor and Democratic nominee Andrew Gillum. He has been the CEO of Ducks Unlimited since 2019. Early life, education, and early career Putnam was born in Bartow, Florida, the son of Sarah Elizabeth (née Hughes) and William Dudley Putnam II. He graduated from Bartow High School and attended the University of Florida, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in food and resource economics. In 1996, Putnam was elected to the Florida House of Representatives, representing parts of Polk County. At 22 years old, he was the youngest person ever elected to the Florida Legislature. He