Over the past two decades, the race for commissioner of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has generated little in the way of political suspense. But with the exit of Charles Bronson, term-limited out of office, several veteran politicians are clamoring for a chance at the often-overlooked Cabinet post.

“This race should be a little different than what we’ve seen in 20 years. This is the first time since Bob Crawford was elected in 1990 when there’s actually an open race,” says state Sen. Carey Baker, one of three Republicans with hats in the ring. “It won’t be that sleepy, somewhat boring race it usually is.”

Declared Candidates Adam Putnam (R), 34 Hometown: Bartow Occupation: U.S. congressman; former member of the Florida House of Representatives; farmer Family: Wife, Melissa; four children. Cash Raised: $486,358 Carey Baker (R), 46 Hometown: Eustis Occupation: State senator; gun shop owner Family: Wife, Lori; three children. Cash Raised: $40,200 Marsha “Marty” L. Bowen (R), 54 Hometown: Haines City Occupation: Citrus grower; former member of the Florida House of Representatives Family: Husband, Brian Barnard; five children. Cash Raised: $37,950 O.R. (Rick) Minton Jr. (D), 59 Hometown: Fort Pierce Occupation: Realtor; former member of the Florida House of Representatives Family: Wife, Linda; four children. Cash Raised: $1,750 James “Jimmy” Harlin Carter (Real Food Party of the United States of America), 55 Hometown: Live Oak Occupation: Ranch owner and optician Cash Raised: $0

While the commissioner of agriculture isn’t necessarily the most glamorous Cabinet post in the state, the 2003 restructuring of the Florida Cabinet — which reduced the number of Cabinet members from six to three — has enhanced the clout of the position. The $131,604-a-year job entails everything from overseeing and helping to promote the state’s vast agriculture industry and safeguarding the state’s food supply to managing 1 million acres of state forests and protecting consumers from unfair and deceptive trade practices.

To accomplish these objectives, the department inspects and tests food and other consumer products and regulates a wide variety of businesses from dance studios to auto repair shops to amusement park rides.

Susan MacManus, a political science professor at the University of South Florida, notes that the position can also be a steppingstone for anyone with ambitions to be governor. Bronson, who has served as Florida agriculture commissioner since 2001, recently announced that he intends to run for governor in 2010 if Charlie Crist decides to run for outgoing Sen. Mel Martinez’s (R) seat. “Just about every Florida politician you talk to ultimately wants to be governor. It’s a very, very common pattern,” MacManus says.

Baker says the position is a “great job”— and one for which he feels he is particularly well-suited considering his recent chairmanship of the General Government Appropriations panel in the Senate, which oversees the department’s budget. “I understand top-to-bottom how the agency works,” says Baker. “I can hit the ground running. I don’t have to be elected and sort of learn about the various divisions.”

Another appealing aspect of the job, he says, is the fact that as a Cabinet member, the agriculture commissioner gets to weigh in on a myriad of other important issues such as large land purchases by the state, clemency issues and the siting of power plants.

Other big names angling for the top ag spot include U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam and former state Rep. Marsha “Marty” L. Bowen, a citrus grower from Haines City who served as speaker pro tempore from 2007 to 2008. The first Democrat to enter to the race is former state Rep. O.R. (Rick) Minton Jr. The St. Petersburg Times recently reported that Eric Draper, a lobbyist for Audubon of Florida, may also make a bid for the office as a Democrat. Others considering a run, according to the Times, include state Rep. Debbie Boyd (D) and former Suwannee County Commissioner Randy Hatch.

If money is the measure, Putnam has staked an early claim as the GOP front-runner. The lawmaker, a rising GOP star on the national scene during his eight-year congressional career, raised $486,358 for his campaign during the first fund-raising quarter of 2009 — a record amount in one quarter for a candidate running for ag commissioner in Florida. Putnam’s haul is even more impressive considering that he declared his candidacy Feb. 2 — almost five weeks into the quarter. His next closest competitor, Baker, had just $40,200 at the end of 2008. (Baker and other state lawmakers are prohibited from raising campaign funds while the Legislature is in session).

Given the state of the economy and the potentially large number of high-profile races in Florida in 2010, Putnam says the early fund raising is critical. “When you look at the fruit-basket turnover that will occur at the top of the ticket in 2010, potentially, that makes it much more important for a candidate for an office like this to get a head start” before candidates for senator and governor consume all the political donations, he says.

Putnam’s opponents downplay his financial lead. “Listen, the job’s not for sale,” insists Minton, a former state lawmaker who filed his candidacy papers on March 13. The Fort Pierce Democrat says he is confident he’ll be able to get his message out with “whatever money I’m able to get ... and I feel confident that I’ll have as good a shot as any Republican.”

Despite having “one arm tied behind his back” because of the fund-raising restrictions placed on state lawmakers, Baker says with 18-plus months ahead, the campaign still has a long way to go: “This is a marathon. We have a lot of time left in this race.”

Money aside, Putnam’s show of force is also evident on the ground. In April, during a congressional recess, Putnam made a “farm tour” of Florida, visiting every coffee shop, fish fry and barbecue joint he could find. He’s also making use of free social networking tools on the internet by posting campaign videos on YouTube and maintaining profiles on sites like Facebook and LinkedIn.

Putnam says he’s had his eye on the agriculture commissioner slot since the day he met Florida’s first elected commissioner of agriculture, Doyle Connor, while he was showing a bull at the Polk County Youth Fair in the early 1980s. He says he plans to do whatever it takes to boost his own name recognition and that of the office of agriculture commissioner.

“In many ways, it’s been under the radar. I’m hoping to change that, hoping to raise the profile of the office and raise the profile of the campaign,” says Putnam. “Other races might be more glamorous or headline-grabbing but ours is just as important, and frankly, for Florida’s heartland, and panhandle, even more important.”

Food scares Candidates Focus on Food Safety Last year’s tomato scare underscores the need for new food safety regulations, several candidates running for agriculture commissioner say. While it was eventually determined that jalapenos from Mexico were behind the salmonella outbreak that poisoned more than 1,400 people, the mere suspicion that tomatoes might have been the cause cost Florida’s tomato industry $140 million. “It is very important to have a strong food safety program that not only protects consumers, but will also protect the farmers themselves from being falsely accused,” says state Sen. Carey Baker. Baker has sponsored a bill that would extend the stringent food safety standards that apply to Florida’s tomato industry to all crops. His bill would also transfer food service safety duties from the Department of Health to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam, meanwhile, recently introduced legislation that would place mandatory requirements on food companies, domestically and abroad, while also requiring them to conduct risk analyses to identify potential problems. The bill would also give the FDA statutory power for the first time ever to recall contaminated food. The FDA has long sought this power from Congress.