In August alone, on the other hand, the political committee of rival Ron DeSantis brought in nearly $780,000, including $300,000 from the committee run by incoming state House Speaker José R. Oliva (R-Miami Lakes), and $100,000 from the Florida Medical Association. Both have endorsed DeSantis recently, but also represent the type of Tallahassee money that was not moving DeSantis’ way when it appeared the nomination was Putnam’s to lose. DeSantis’ August also included a $25,000 check from Sunshine Gasoline Distributors, a company owned by Max Alvarez, a longtime Florida GOP donor who also gave $30,000 to Putnam’s committee during this election cycle.
The apparent drying up of contributions to Putnam is a concrete sign of the campaign's new dynamic, with DeSantis firmly established as the front-runner on the Republican side of the gubernatorial race. It has been a stunning turn of events for Florida political operators, many of whom abide by the “your turn” philosophy. That unofficial rule dictates that if — like Putnam — a politician helps his or her political party and is patient enough, nomination to higher office will follow.
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