Florida - 12th District
Incumbent --
Adam H. Putnam (R)
; Elected Fla. Agriculture commissioner on Nov. 2, 2010
Leans Republican
Updated Oct. 14, 2010
Putnam wasn't expected to have much trouble if he had run for a sixth term, but his decision to seek statewide office gave Democrats some hope in a district that went narrowly for Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in 2008 and has a slight Democratic voter registration advantage.
But as the national environment turned against Democrats, the likelihood that the national party would play in the conservative district diminished quickly.
Former state Rep. Dennis Ross, the GOP nominee, has Putnam's endorsement, the support of the national party and a significant financial advantage. Democratic nominee Lori Edwards, the supervisor of elections in Polk County, has been something of a recruiting bust who has struggled on the campaign trail.
Edwards' best hope for an upset lies in the candidacy of tea party nominee Randy Wilkinson, a county commissioner who Democrats hope will split the conservative vote just enough to give them a chance of stealing the open seat.
District Information
District Profile from Politics in America
Florida's 12th has plenty of land, but much of it is covered by citrus groves and natural lakes rather than beaches. Centered east of Tampa and southwest of Orlando, the fast-growing district includes almost all of Polk County, suburban and exurban areas of southern and eastern Hillsborough County, and a tiny slice of western Osceola County.
Agriculture in Polk County, the state's top producer of citrus, drives the 12th's economy, while the Hillsborough County portion of the district grows tomatoes and strawberries. The district's central location makes it a distribution hub, as well as home to sizable finance and health care sectors.
Despite a thriving agriculture sector and steady growth for a decade in the area's secondary industries -- both blue- and white-collar jobs -- the Polk County economy was hit hard by high unemployment and foreclosure rates.
Democrats now outnumber Republicans in portions of all three counties in the 12th. The growing Democratic registration advantage belies the social and economic conservatism of most residents here, and traditional Southern Democratic voters make state and local elections here competitive. The district has backed GOP presidential candidates since 1992, but Republican John McCain edged out Barack Obama by fewer than 4,000 votes in the 2008 presidential election, winning the district with only 50 percent of its vote.
Major Industry
Agriculture, financial services
Cities
Brandon (unincorporated) (pt.), 101,076; Lakeland (pt.), 89,142
Notable
The largest LEGOLAND amusement park will open in Winter Haven in the fall of 2011.
District Election History
| Year |
Election |
Candidate |
Votes |
Percent |
| 2010 |
general |
Dennis Ross (R) |
102,704 |
48.1% |
| Lori Edwards (D) |
87,769 |
41.1% |
| Randy Wilkinson (TEA) |
22,857 |
10.7% |
| 2008 |
general |
Adam Putnam (R) |
185,698 |
57.5% |
| Doug Tudor (D) |
137,465 |
42.5% |
| 2006 |
general |
Adam Putnam (R) |
124,452 |
69.1% |
| Joe Viscusi (X) |
34,976 |
19.4% |
| Ed Bowlin (X) |
20,636 |
11.5% |
| 2004 |
general |
Adam Putnam (R) |
179,204 |
64.9% |
| Bob Hagenmaier (D) |
96,965 |
35.1% |
| 2002 |
general |
Adam Putnam (R) |
|
unopposed |
Vote For President
| Year |
Democrat |
Republican |
Independent |
| 2008 |
Barack Obama: 49% |
John McCain: 50% |
|
| 2004 |
John Kerry: 42% |
George W. Bush: 58% |
|
| 2000 |
Al Gore: 44% |
George W. Bush: 54% |
|
