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Commissioner of agriculture

 
Hamilton
Hamilton
Published Oct. 16, 2014

Commissioner of agriculture

About the race: The race for agriculture commissioner pits well-known Republican incumbent Adam Putnam against Democrat Thaddeus "Thad" Hamilton. Hamilton won just 2 percent of the vote when he ran for the position with no party affiliation in 2010. Putnam has the upper hand again, having raised more than $2.7 million for his re-election campaign. By Kathleen McGrory, Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau

Thaddeus "Thad" Hamilton, 64 Adam Putnam, 40
PartyDemocratRepublican
Experience U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Services (1970 to 2006); retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel; former chairman of the Broward County Land Preservation Advisory Council; former member of the Governor's Commission for a Sustainable South Florida Florida Commissioner of Agriculture (2011 to 2014); U.S. House of Representatives (2001 to 2011); Florida House of Representatives (1996 to 2000)
EducationBachelor of science in agriculture, University of Arkansas at Pine BluffBachelor of science in food and resource economics, University of Florida
What is your energy policy?Hamilton says Florida needs to lessen its dependence on fossil fuels and rely more on alternative forms of energy. He wants to see Florida invest in solar and wind power. He also supports education programs that teach children and adults about alternative sources of energy.Putnam supports nuclear power, but says Florida should put more priority on developing sustainable energy goals. In 2012, he promoted legislation that provided tax incentives to expand production of renewable energy. Earlier this year, Putnam championed a plan to shift some revenue from the corporate energy sales tax into school maintenance and construction.
What is your water policy?Hamilton considers water policy his top priority. He supports the use of innovative irrigation and water recovery systems. He also said the department must focus on cleaning up the state's agricultural and urban environments to ensure "pollutants and nitrates don't get into our system."Putnam said he favors water policy that is long-term and comprehensive "to address the challenges we face in every region of the state." He wants to promote the use of reclaimed water instead of groundwater for industrial processes, and develop a shallow-water storage plan to control water levels in Lake Okeechobee.
Do you support Amendment 2, legalizing medical marijuana?Hamilton supports Amendment 2. "I see no reason why we shouldn't use medical marijuana to ease the suffering of the citizens of the state of Florida," he said. He added that medical marijuana has the potential to create agriculture jobs.Putnam opposes Amendment 2. "No one has ever prescribed smoking anything as a medicine," he recently told the Tampa Bay Times editorial board. "Florida does not need to legalize marijuana for any reason, in the Constitution."
Campaign fundraisingHamilton has raised $21,163 in campaign contributions and taken out $13,140 in loans. He has spent $25,027.Putnam has raised $2.7 million for his campaign and spent about $789,000.
Financial disclosureAssets: $580,000 in property, including a home in Sunrise. Liabilities: $515,000 in mortgages and other liabilities. Income: $81,000 in pensions from the U.S. Army and USDA; $110,000 from rental properties Assets: $623,814 in property, including homes in Bartow and Tallahassee; $7.2 million in business interests, plus securities and bank accounts. Liabilities: $115,704 mortgage. Income: $300,844 from Putnam Groves; $123,893 state salary; $100,863 from securities, property sales, other sources
PersonalHamilton and his wife, Karen, have three adult children.Putnam and his wife, Melissa, have four children.
Contactvoteforthad2014.com, thadcampaign@bellsouth.net; (954) 459-5490 adamputnam.com; (863) 537-7000

About the job: The agriculture commissioner oversees the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The sweeping state agency helps farmers, promotes Florida's 300 agricultural commodities around the world, manages state forests, safeguards consumers, assists with the school lunch program and processes concealed weapon license applications. The commissioner of agriculture is also a member of the Florida Cabinet.