Drew Wilson
Chuck Clemons has picked up the endorsement of Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam in the three-way Republican primary for House District 21.
“I am proud to endorse my friend, Chuck Clemons, for the Florida House,” Putnam said. “Over the course of our 20-year friendship, I have always known him to be a steady and committed conservative with strong leadership skills. His professional experience and deep roots in the community clearly make him the best choice to serve the residents of District 21.”
Clemons is running against Republican businesswoman Wenda Lewis and pharmacist Tim Rogers in the primary race for HD 21, currently held by Republican Rep. Keith Perry, who is running for the District 8 seat in the Florida Senate.
“Commissioner Putnam is truly a distinguished Florida leader,” Clemons said. “I am honored to have his support, and I look forward to working with him to address Florida’s pressing challenges like creating more jobs and protecting the natural resources that are so vital to our state.”
Through the June 24 reporting period, the Santa Fe College administrator had about $93,000 in his campaign account, putting him behind Lewis’ $153,000 on hand, which includes $100,000 in loans. Rogers, the last GOP candidate to file, had about $7,300 on hand through the same date.
The HD 21 electorate includes a significant portion of Gainesville’s student population and has a strong Democratic advantage in voter registrations, though that advantage doesn’t show up at the polls.
Perry’s three House elections featured double-digit wins over Democrat Andrew Morey in 2012 and Jon Uman in 2014, and his successor will likely emerge from the Republican primary, though Democrat Marihelen Wheeler and a pair of write-in candidates are also running for the seat in 2016.
Wheeler had about $4,700 on hand through June 24, while Ryan Dyson and Richard Swilley, both of whom filed June 23, have yet to show any contributions for their campaigns.
