Adam Putnam has long been considered the Republican front runner for governor. From Bartow, Florida, Putnam got his degree from the University of Florida and stayed home after college. He was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in the mid-nineties and eventually matriculated to Congress.

He is Florida, so it was no surprise that Adam would soon run for governor, and many believed, win the state’s top political post.

Throughout his political career, Putnam has been viewed as measured. Never aligning himself with the far-right or leaning too far left, he was in the center. It’s the political sweet spot that many elected officials seek because it’s safe and allows for flexibility.

Then Donald Trump happened.

The bombastic former real estate tycoon was elected president and the political winds shifted. Trump does not appreciate measure and operates in a cacophonic space; an area Putnam is unfamiliar with.

Because the winds shifted on Putnam as he was filing his paperwork to run for governor, he tried to shift farther to the right and it caught many off guard.

Early in his campaign, Putnam announced that he was a “proud NRA sellout,” shocking some supporters and providing fodder for Democrats. Even with that misstep that still haunts him, Putnam’s money never dried up. His campaign account has more than $6 million, and his political action committee (PAC), Florida Grown, is moving close to $30 million.

But the heat on Putnam is starting to get hotter as state Senator Linda Stewart is calling for an investigation into Putnam’s office for its handling of concealed carry permitting. As agriculture commissioner, Putnam’s office failed to follow process and “allowed people to erroneously receive a concealed carry firearm license.”

That could be enough to sink his campaign but calls for more oversight and an investigation aren’t coming from Republicans. They are coming from Democrats, and for the time being, it’s not enough to bring him down.

Putnam is still popular and will continue to raise more money than many will see in their lifetimes. But money and popularity aren’t harbingers of victory. Putnam’s chief opponent, U.S. Representative Ron DeSantis, is endorsed by President Donald Trump.

Announcing his run for governor in January of this year, DeSantis received Trump’s endorsement before his paperwork was filed. He’s like Trump, takes very conservative positions on the economy and education. As governor, DeSantis wants to expand school choice and reshape the state’s Supreme Court.

Like Putnam, DeSantis isn’t hurting for money. His campaign account has $2.5 million and Friends of Ron DeSantis, his PAC, has more than $10 million. Gravis Marketing released a poll two weeks ago showing DeSantis and Graham in the lead

What’s working for DeSantis, though, is the support of the Trump family and Fox News. He appears frequently on the conservative news channel and will soon have the president down to support his candidacy at a rally in Tampa.

DeSantis is also polling well. An internal campaign poll had him up by nearly 20-points over Putnam in early July and a Gravis poll has him up by 6 points over Putnam. The average via RealClear Politics is almost 3 points for DeSantis.

Putnam’s campaign has taken notice as its starting to hit DeSantis on sales tax, a minor issue that isn’t likely to stick. Putnam’s camp should be worried as DeSantis is gaining momentum ahead of the August primary, which is just a month away.

If Putnam can’t rally and put out the fires that are starting to engulf his campaign, a once promising political career may go down as quickly as it started.