Palm Beach County Fraternal Order of Police backs challenger in Sheriff’s race

The former No. 2 at the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office wants his old boss’s job, and the local Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) No. 50 is backing the challenger in his bid.

Michael Gauger, former deputy chief of the Sheriff’s Office, is running as a Republican, challenging Democrat Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, the county’s longest-serving Sheriff. But the local FOP, once Bradshaw backers, are supporting Gauger, according to a news release from Gauger’s campaign.

A release about the endorsement highlighted the rarity of an incumbent Sheriff not getting the unanimous backing of his deputies. The union has, in the past, endorsed Bradshaw, who was Gauger’s boss for 16 years.

“Despite Bradshaw’s recent efforts to secure the FOP’s endorsement for his 2024 campaign, the FOP’s decision to endorse Gauger speaks volumes about how respected Gauger was as Chief Deputy,” Gauger’s news release reads.

Union President Luis Blasco wrote of Gauger: “Your qualifications, leadership, career achievements and dedication to the Palm Beach County community for over four decades was a major factor in the members’ decision. We look forward to working with you in the near future.”

Bradshaw has the endorsement of the county’s largest law enforcement union, the Police Benevolent Association of Palm Beach County, as well as endorsements from elected Palm Beach County officials from both sides of the aisle.

Gauger also lags in the money race. Bradshaw has raised $192,000 from his political committee and $159,700 for his personal account so far this year. With the money he had in the kitty before this year — and subtracting the $13,000 he’s spent on his campaign so far — Bradshaw has a total of $473,000 on hand to spend on winning his sixth term.

That compares with the $94,000 that Gauger has added to his campaign, including a $10,000 self-loan he gave his campaign. 

For Bradshaw, five-figure donations have rolled steadily in from a bevy of contributors. Bradshaw’s political committee received $30,000 from Lewis Stahl, a Boca Raton property manager, and $20,000 from Jacob Glen Fried of Boca Raton, the owner of an information technology company.

Bradshaw’s committee, Friends of Rick Bradshaw, collected $10,000 from Ronald Gottlieb, a Jupiter retiree; David Levinson, a Palm Beach real estate company CEO; Herbert Lawrence, a Palm Beach resident who founded the Pantone Color Matching System; Michael Belisle, a Palm Beach resident who is the CFO of a real estate company; John Preston of Palm Beach, who is the President of a private investigation company; John Scarpa of Palm Beach, the CEO of a telecommunications company; Joseph Plumeri of Denver, who is in the financial industry; Joseph Jacobs of West Palm Beach, an investor; Palm Beach Aggregates, a Loxahatchee construction company; and Palm Beach Legal, a Boca Raton law firm.

Both Bradshaw and Gauger are facing Primary Elections before they come face-to-face.

Bradshaw must get by Democrat Alex Freeman, a former major with the Riviera Beach police. Bradshaw defeated him in the Primary in 2020.

And Gauger will face Republican Lauro Diaz, who spent 27 years with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, rising to captain of various divisions. He was also in the 2020 race for Sheriff and lost to Bradshaw in the General Election.

In the money race, campaign filings show Freeman has raised $31,000 in his campaign and spent nearly $8,000. Lauro’s campaign appears to be running in the red.