Four Sheriffs Endorse Tom Leek for Senate District 7

ORMOND BEACH, FL—All four local sheriffs representing Florida's Senate District 7 have endorsed Republican Rep. Tom Leek for the newly vacant Senate seat in the Republican Primary.

Republican Sen. Travis Hutson held the seat for eight years and already endorsed Leek in his current bid against pro-athlete Gerry James for the Republican nomination.

“I am beyond grateful for the endorsement of Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly, Putman County Sheriff H.D. ‘Gator’ DeLoach, St. Johns County Sheriff Robert Hardwick, and Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood,” Leek said.

“Our brave law enforcement officers and first responders put themselves on the line to protect and defend the citizens of Florida each and every day, and I will always have their backs in the Florida Legislature.”

The four sheriffs praised Leek's pro-law enforcement agenda. In 2022, the Representative sponsored a law enforcement recruiting package that provided training reimbursements and signing bonuses to new and out-of-state veteran law enforcement officers.

Leek, a conservative leader who works closely with House Speaker Paul Renner as the Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, will face down Gerry James, who tried and failed to unseat Sen. Travis Hutson in 2022.

If he wins the nomination, Leek will go toe-to-toe with Democrat George Hill II and Independent Michael Gist, though the cards are stacked in Republicans' favor in this red district: DeSantis won 70% of Senate District 7's vote in the 2022 gubernatorial election.