Lauren Book gets police union endorsement for Senate bid

Lauren-Book-800x360
The Democratic Senate Leader is facing a Primary challenge in newly drawn Broward district.

Senate Democratic Leader Lauren Book received the endorsement of the Broward County Police Benevolent Association Tuesday in her bid to represent Senate District 35.

Now facing her first Primary challenge, Book was elected to the Legislature in 2016, representing western Broward County. But redistricting put her into a new district, where she would have faced fellow incumbent Democratic Sen. Rosalind Osgood. Instead of that Primary fight, she moved to District 35 and now faces a challenge from former Broward County Commissioner Barbara Sharief.

The union cited Book’s support for expanding first responder workers’ compensation coverage and ensuring their full mental health benefits, along with a slew of other efforts to increase public safety. The union credits Book with championing efforts to combat human trafficking, close loopholes for child sex predators’ registration, promote bicycle and pedestrian safety, and ensure full funding for sheriffs’ child protective investigative units.

Rod Skirvin, President of the Broward PBA, called her the very best candidate.

“Law enforcement relies on public officials,” he said.

The endorsement highlights how Book knows firsthand the vital role law enforcement plays because she was a crime victim herself, subject to six years of physical, sexual and emotional abuse from a family caregiver.

The Broward Sheriff Special Victims Unit helped bring Book’s abuser to justice. The case came to an end when Lauren’s former caregiver was found coaching 10-year-old girls’ soccer in Oklahoma.

“Every day, I am grateful for these brave men and women who run into danger so that we can run from it,” Book said. “I look forward to continuing our work together in Tallahassee, to promote public safety and support hardworking law enforcement workers.”

Book has also received the endorsement of her Senate colleagues, Sens. Loranne Ausley, Lori Berman, Randolph Bracy, Janet Cruz, Shevrin Jones, Jason Pizzo, Tina Polsky, Bobby Powell, Darryl Rouson, Linda Stewart and Victor Torres Jr., along with former Sen. Perry Thurston.

Book has also received the endorsement of Broward County Commissioners Steve Geller, Nan Rich and Jared Moskowitz.

The new SD 35, which had no active incumbent until Book moved there, covers a chunk of unincorporated Broward County south of Interstate 595 and west of Florida’s Turnpike. Pembroke Pines and Miramar account for most of it, but it also includes all or parts of Cooper City, Davie, Fort Lauderdale, Southwest Ranches, Sunrise and Weston.

Anne Geggis

Anne Geggis is a South Florida journalist who began her career in Vermont and has worked at the Sun-Sentinel, the Daytona Beach News-Journal and the Gainesville Sun covering government issues, health and education. She was a member of the Sun-Sentinel team that won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the Parkland high school shooting. You can reach her on Twitter @AnneBoca or by emailing [email protected].



#FlaPol

Florida Politics is a statewide, new media platform covering campaigns, elections, government, policy, and lobbying in Florida. This platform and all of its content are owned by Extensive Enterprises Media.

Publisher: Peter Schorsch @PeterSchorschFL

Contributors & reporters: Phil Ammann, Drew Dixon, Roseanne Dunkelberger, A.G. Gancarski, Anne Geggis, Ryan Nicol, Jacob Ogles, Cole Pepper, Gray Rohrer, Jesse Scheckner, Christine Sexton, Drew Wilson, and Mike Wright.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @PeterSchorschFL
Phone: (727) 642-3162
Address: 204 37th Avenue North #182
St. Petersburg, Florida 33704




Sign up for Sunburn


Categories