Jesse Scheckner
Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw is heading to the General Election with support from two longtime law enforcement professionals who until last month were running to unseat him.
Riviera Beach Police Maj. Alex Freeman, whom Bradshaw defeated in the Democratic Primary, is backing Bradshaw.
So is Lauro Diaz, a 27-year veteran of the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office (PBSO) who lost in the Republican Primary to Bradshaw’s former second-in-command, Michael Gauger.
No other Palm Beach Sheriff candidate made it to Election Day last month, meaning Bradshaw has 100% support from his former challengers this cycle.
In a statement explaining his cross-aisle endorsement, Diaz said no one is more prepared for the job than Bradshaw. He called Gauger “a risky choice who has a record of flip-flopping on issues and who has put his own self-interest above those of the public.”
“No matter whether you are a Republican, Democrat or no-party affiliated, Sheriff Bradshaw is a leader we can trust,” Diaz said. “As a Republican for Bradshaw, I will be working to encourage others in my party who care about public safety to join me (in) voting for (him).”
Freeman, meanwhile, said that while he ran against Bradshaw because he believed he could effect positive change at the PBSO, he has “admired, respected and sought to emulate many of the qualities’ Bradshaw has exhibited for decades.
“Sheriff Bradshaw’s accomplishments in law enforcement are literally sought out and copied by law enforcement agencies everywhere. Enhanced community policing, greater accountability, making mental health a law enforcement issue, red flag laws, the use of the most innovative crime fighting technologies — just to mention a few,” Freeman said.
“I have admired this man for many years. He is a man of principle, energy and accomplishment that has made the lives of many people better and safe. For all these reasons, I am so honored to endorse Sheriff Bradshaw for re-election.”
Bradshaw said in a statement that he is “humbled” by the nods from Diaz and Freeman, which add to others from Palm Beach State Attorney Dave Aronberg, Palm Beach Clerk Joseph Abruzzo and the Hispanic Political Action Committee, among others.
The longest-serving Sheriff in Palm Beach history, Bradshaw is seeking his sixth term leading the PBSO, its 4,300 employees and 1,500 volunteers. Recent polling suggests he’s on track to do so comfortably.
A survey EDGE Communications conducted late last month of 1,630 Palm Beach voters found that 59% want to see Bradshaw stay on as the county’s top cop. Just 24% said they’d rather see Bradshaw take over.
Bradshaw also carries a significantly larger war chest, having added about $715,000 this cycle through the Primary, compared to $177,000 for Gauger, who holds an endorsement from the Palm Beach County Fraternal Order of Police, the Christian Family Coalition and Richard Wille, the longest tenured Republican to serve as Palm Beach Sheriff.
The General Election is on Nov. 5.
