Don't expect Vincent to back down

David Vincent has a message.

He’s not going anywhere.

Dave doesn’t care if there are four candidates for sheriff or 10. He doesn’t care that the odds stack in favor of the incumbent in a crowded field. He is ignoring the noise that suggests he has to decide in June whether to stay in the race or not.

---

There’s nothing to decide. He’s in. Next question.

If ballot qualifying passes in June with Calvin Adams and Doug Alexander still in the sheriff’s race, Dave knows that dilutes the pack and gives Sheriff Mike Prendergast a better chance to squeeze out a third term.

But any suggestion that he stand aside while someone else, especially Alexander, takes the mantle, is met with an absolute no.

Dave and I had an interesting Cattle Dog chat Monday morning. I’ve now had chats with the three sheriff challengers, and I have an open invitation with Prendergast’s campaign manager for the incumbent to meet me anytime at Cattle Dog. (No response so far.)

I don’t take notes during these chats, so I’m not giving you 700 words on Dave’s campaign points. I suggest a look at his campaign website or Facebook page, and here’s an excellent campaign interview that provides decent insight.

Dave has some special experience. He’s worked for the last four sheriffs. He’s had more experience in the sheriff’s office than the current officeholder. The photo with today’s blog is from Dave’s retirement from the sheriff’s office in 2020 to take over as Citrus County School District chief of police.

Dave supported the incumbent four years ago, but then again, that shouldn’t be too surprising. Remember that Dave worked for Prendergast at the time; not backing the boss’s re-election is employment suicide.

We spent some time talking about his ideas. He believes, as do many, that the lines of communication have broken down at the direction of the incumbent who would rather fight than work with others.

Dave has a different approach. While all three challengers are saying we need to have better working relations between the sheriff and the community, Dave is the only one with experience in the Citrus County trenches.

If this sounds like an endorsement for Dave Vincent, it shouldn’t be. That’s not my aim here. I’m still looking forward to seeing what all three challengers bring to the campaign in the coming weeks.

I am saying this: Dave has a commanding style about him, one that should not be overlooked by voters looking for an alternative to the incumbent.

I attended a sheriff’s candidate forum a few weeks ago hosted by the League of Women Voters of Citrus County. It was held in the Coastal Region Library community room, which overflowed into in the hallway.

I eavesdropped on two friends nearby. After each candidate spoke, one friend would offer a few words of commentary to her companion.

Here’s what I heard:

• Adams: (I admit…I didn’t hear what she said about Calvin.)
• Prendergast: “Polite applause, not overwhelming.”
• Vincent: “He sounds like a sheriff.”
• Alexander: “He was OK.”

He sounds like a sheriff.

Vincent has $29,000 in collections. Prendergast, close to $200,000. However, and this is significant — Dave has just 37 fewer donors. That means while Prendergast is pulling in all the high-dollar donors, Vincent has nearly the same number of actual contributors.

Does that spell voter support? Who knows. The next big financial report is due June 10, the start of Qualifying Week. We'll have a much better idea how well everyone is doing. All three challengers have plenty to prove between now and then.

This is a momentum game. It’s so easy for a candidate to peak early, especially in a race where the incumbent is sandbagging money for when he really needs it. He’s the sheriff. He shows up to campaign events in a cop uniform. Prendergast doesn’t need to spend money telling people who he is.

I’ll give this to Vincent: He’s confident in his message. This is more than a statement campaign. 

Dave Vincent is all business. He sounds like a sheriff. His experience in Citrus County is impeccable. Support him or not, he gives voters a real choice in August.

You’ll see his name on the ballot. Count on it.

Join the discussion on our Facebook page.

Enjoying the blog? Please consider supporting it at Venmo, PayPal, or Patreon.